Facets
by Ninurtah
Summary: After the confrontation on Mask Island, Jasper is imprisoned by the Crystal Gems and Steven tries to help Lapis acclimate to life on earth. Will the separated Jasper and Lapis reconcile—or at least find some way to move beyond their shared pain? The fate of the Earth may depend on it, as the Crystal Gems face new threats that push them to their physical and mental limits.
1. Chapter 1

"You two should spend some time apart." Alexandrite released the tautly drawn bow, an arrow of light shooting forth towards Malachite. The ray pierced her before she could react, overwhelming the fusion with energy until she burst, a radiant explosion revealing a newly-separated Lapis and Malachite who began plummeting towards the ocean below. Alexandrite ran forward and reached out with both arms extended to catch the falling pair. They landed with a muted thump, both gems out cold from the trauma of the battle and their forced separation.

The triumphant fusion staggered onto the tropical beach where the semi-sentient watermelon Stevens awaited, cheering the victorious gems. Alexandrites legs wobbled and gave out before she collapsed onto her knees, dropping the unconscious Homeworld gems, followed by a luminous glow covering her form as it separated into the Crystal Gems. Garnet managed to strike a dignified kneeling pose, one fist on the ground; Amethyst simply collapsed, conscious but exhausted. Pearl laughed in relief as realization set in that they had won.

Amethyst raised her hand in a thumbs-up, her face still buried in the sand. "I'm all right..."

The watermelon Stevens approached the trio as a group, one of them running forward to embrace Pearl. She looked at it in confusion. "Steven? Is that you in there?"

The watermelon nodded, grinning with satisfaction.

Garnet stood over the pair and smiled. "Thank you. We couldn't have done it without your help."

"Good job melon head." Amethyst mumbled, her voice muted.

"Thank you, all of you! We are truly grateful." Garnet shouted to the melons.

The assembled melons beamed with pride; a few looked embarassed. Garnet could have sworn she saw one blushing, but she was fairly certain that there was nothing in the laws of nature that would allow a fruit to blush.

The celebration was cut short by a low rumble emanating from all around them. The Gems looked around for the source of the noise, but they were quickly presented with a more immediate concern. The ground cracked open in front of them, a deep fissure quickly growing in width, separating the Gems and the possessed Watermelon from the remaining watermelon Stevens. They looked around in a panic—behind them, the once-tranquil ocean was surging with waves.

The very land on which they stood twisted and tilted without warning, sending the unconscious Lapis and Jasper sliding towards the abyssal chasm in front of them. Amethyst grabbed onto Lapis' limp hand as soon as she saw what was happening; Pearl grasped at Jasper, but the heavy Gem slipped out of her grip and slid towards the precipice below. Throwing caution to the wind, Pearl dived after her—sliding on her stomach and grabbing onto Jasper's ankle with both hands. Amethyst used her free hand to pull her whip out of her gem, reeling back her arm before directing it at Pearl with all of her strength.

The whip wrapped around Pearl's waist just as she approached the edge of the now-massive gap in the Earth, with Jasper dangling over the edge, Pearl's small hands her only hope for survival. Amethyst strained against the immense weight pulling at her whip until Garnet grabbed onto it with both fists, pulling the endangered Pearl and Jasper back from the edge. Together, Amethyst and Garnet reeled them in until they were back on stable ground.

Garnet turned to the helpless Watermelon. "It must be the Cluster! Peridot was right. Steven!"

He looked up at her face, gripping Garnet's leg in fear. "It's up to you!"

* * *

Jasper gasped, her eyes shooting open as she sat up with a start. She looked around—she was back in Peridot's ship, in the central hub room connecting the aft and fore of the vessel. A sharp ache prompted her to touch the gem that sat in place of her nose—it was cracked. She winced and stood up, gathering her thoughts. The ship had crashed, that she remembered very well. Her humiliation at the hands of the fusion called 'Garnet' and her ensuing imprisonment by Lapis Lazuli was burned into her memory. Could someone have brought her back to the ship? Perhaps Peridot? She still didn't know where that technician was; probably hiding somewhere on Earth and waiting for Homeworld reinforcements. Jasper didn't need to wait—she would act.

A twinkle of light prompted her to look up, and what she saw defied explanation. The blue Earth sky she had expected to see was not there. Instead, past the windowed ceiling covering the atrium, was an ocean of stars. Somehow the ship was adrift in space—but that was impossible. She herself had been thrown into the engine core and had fallen to earth with the wreckage. The memory made her wince again and reflexively rub the crack on her gem.

This time a noise demanded her attention; a 'clang, clang, clang' from deep within the ship's bowels. Could Peridot have dragged her here and restored the ship to working order on her own? She smirked at the thought. Impossible—the ship had landed within eyesight of the Crystal Gems' headquarters. Still, if that is what Peridot had managed to accomplish, Jasper would have to be sure to commend her initiative in her post-action report to Yellow Diamond.

"Who's there? Peridot!" Jasper's deep voice echoed throughout the ship's halls, returning to her with no answer.

"Why are you yelling for her? I thought it was me you wanted." A soft voice behind Jasper made her spin around—in front of her stood Lapis Lazuli, her face cold and expressionless.

Jasper snarled. "You! How did I get here?"

"I'm done being everyone's prisoner!" she shouted, her face twisted with naked anger.

"Answer me, brat!" Jasper went to grab Lapis' wrist, but as soon as she gripped it, the Gem dissolved into a cloud of pink mist.

"What is this?" Jasper looked down at her open hand, where the mist was fading away into nothingness. "Where did you go?" She shouted.

"Now you're MY prisoner!" Lapis' voice came from all around—not echoing within the ship, but as if she were speaking inside Jasper's own head. The doors lining the room slammed shut, locking her into the circular room.

"And I'm never letting you go!" Jasper looked down at her feet, where water was beginning to pool up from the floor. Within seconds it had risen from the tips of her toes to her ankles. How was the brat doing this? Jasper ran over to the largest door, the one leading to the command center of the ship. The control panel unresponsive, she began pummeling the door with her fists. The metal caved inwards after a dozen heavy blows, but Jasper was tiring out fast, and she wasn't in any shape to fight.

"Just let me do this for you!"Jasper looked down—Lapis was reflected in the water that had now risen halfway up Jasper's shins, her visage distorting with the ripples that Jasper was creating with her mighty blows. She looked all around—Lapis Lazuli was nowhere to be seen. Turning back to the water below her, she saw that the reflection had dissapeared. Jasper cocked her fist back and prepared to strike the door again. It was all she knew how to do.

* * *

The creaking of wood brought Steven back to the waking world. The moon shone brightly overhead in the night sky. It had only been a day since he and the Crystal Gems had dealt with the Cluster, but the rapid fire crises of the past few days had made it feel like an eternity had passed. He turned his head to the barn door—he had camped outside, hoping to be there when Lapis awoke. Garnet had warned him that it could take a long time for her to recover, but he wanted to be there when she did.

He wriggled out of his sleeping bag and tip-toed over to the barn, bare feet pressing on cold grass. He eased the door open to peak inside and saw Lapis standing in front of a large gap in the barn wall. Twin wings of water were extended outwards from the gem in the middle of her back, the moonlight filtering through them in an eerie display of light.

"Lapis! You're ok!" Steven threw the barn door open, abandonding any pretense of stealth.

"Steven!" Lapis jolted with surprise and turned towards him.

Steven's joy quickly turned to dissapointment. "You're leaving?"

"I have to, Steven. I don't belong here. Not with that... animal so close by."

"She can't hurt you anymore. We've got her locked up."

"So, you bubbled her?"

Steven rubbed his neck. "Well, no. Pearl wanted to poof her, but Garnet said that since her gem was already cracked it might shatter her, so we locked her in my mom's room until we figure out what to do with her." He nervously rattled off the explanation to Lapis, who raised an eyebrow.

"Your mom's room?"

"Yeah, it's like this magical place, and you can create whatever you want in there. Well, I can create whatever I want in there since I've got my mom's gem." He patted the gem underneath his shirt.

The blue Gem frowned. "So Jasper gets to live in a fantasy world while I'm stuck on Earth?"

He shook his head. "No no, I'm the only one who can make the room do stuff. On its own its just endless pink clouds. Kind of like being bubbled, is what Pearl said."

Lapis looked back towards the moon. "Maybe you should shatter her."

"W-what?" Steven stammered.

Lapis turned back to Steven. "Kidding! I'm just kidding."

Steven breathed a sigh of relief. That had scared him.

"So it won't be fun for her in there?" Lapis asked.

"I don't think so. Not bad, but not really good either. Garnet said that when you're in that room it's just you and your thoughts."

Lapis looked down at Steven. He was staring at his feet, toes wriggling nervously. "I should get going now, Steven."

Steven smiled sadly at her. "It seems like you're always leaving as soon as we meet again."

She leaned in and kissed him on his forehead before turning back towards the sky. With a flap of her wings she was in the air, a fine mist of water falling back onto Steven as the distance between them grew.


	2. Chapter 2

"GRAH!"

Jasper's arms ached and knuckles throbbed as she pounded on the door. Her body was slowing down, but the heavy metal door was showing no signs of giving way. She drew her arm back once again, and was shocked to find that her elbow hit water—it had reached her chest. She looked around frantically, the cold water touching the gem on her face as her eyes fell upon sealed exit after sealed exit. Within seconds she found herself completely submerged, the room having flooded to the ceiling. Having been bonded with Lapis Lazuli as Malachite for so long, she had forgotten what it was like to want air—to need it.

She swam upwards, distant stars twinkling outside of the round window above her. Jasper gripped the edges of the central window section and in a fit of desperation materialized her crash helmet. With her body beginning to panic at the lack of oxygen, she pulled away from the window before using her arms to bring her head back down. With a thump that reverberated through the water-filled room, she struck the glass with her helmet, a crack snaking its way from one end of the panel to the other.

As her entire being ached with exhaustion, she pulled back again, putting all of her strength into one final blow. The window shattered as she struck it, water flooding out of the room and pushing her out of the ship with tremendous force as she futilely grabbed at the edges of the window. The vacuum outside of the ship pulled at her as the water was sucked outwards and she found herself tumbling in space, the stars around her spinning until they became a blur.

* * *

Lapis Lazuli inhaled deeply, savoring the fresh air, high enough up that the salt spray of the nearby ocean couldn't reach her. After all that time at the bottom of the sea, she couldn't get enough of being out here—not that she needed to breath, but the freedom was comforting. Open space in every direction, and nothing and no one to chain her down. She had left the barn as soon as she had recovered from her fusion with Jasper—she couldn't take being so close to the people who had imprisoned her for so long. Not just Jasper, but the Crystal Gems too.

So she had left. But as quickly as she had left, she returned—drawn back to the only person who had shown her kindness in thousands of years. To everyone else she was either a tool, an enemy, or leverage; but to Steven she was her own person with thoughts, feelings, and insecurities—as well as a friend.

She heard a sputter and looked down at the road leading away from the barn. The human Greg's van passed by, making awful noises and kicking up dust as it passed the grain silo that Lapis was perched atop. Could Steven be in the van? She eyed the vehicle hopefully. She wanted to see him again, talk to him again—but she wanted him to come to her. Sure, it was a little selfish, but she had sacrificed so much for him; and she knew that he would do anything for her, too.

* * *

"Lion! Where are you?" Steven walked through the field near the barn, searching for his pink feline companion.

"I've got a big steak right here just for you!" He held up his hand and waved it in the air for no one in particular.

"You can't hide from me too long because I know you love me soooo much!" He stopped just short of the long-empty grain silo and looked up. Light bounced off of the aluminum cap, blinding him. As clouds passed overhead and temporarily obscured the sun, he saw something on top of the silo.

He squinted, raising his hand to shield his eyes. "Woa..." Lapis Lazuli was sitting on top of the silo, gazing listlessly off into the distance. "Lapis!" he yelled, his voice unable to reach her. He jogged over to the ladder and began to ascend the silo, doing his best to avoid looking down. His heart pounding as he reached the top, he walked across the roof to where Lapis was sitting and plopped down next to her, nearly losing his footing as he navigated the slippery metal surface. She didn't acknowledge his presence, merely continuing to stare at the horizon. The only sound was the occasional soft gust of wind until Steven broke the silence. "I thought you'd left."

She sighed. "I did. Then I realized, I had nowhere to go. Who knows what they'd do to me back home." She rested her head on her arms. "After what I did to Jasper, I can't go back to Homeworld, and I can't stay here either."

"Sure you can! You can totally stay here. It doesn't have to be HERE here, you can live anywhere! You don't even have to stay in Beach City if you don't want to."

She tilted her face towards Steven. "You don't want me to stay in Beach City?"

"I don't mean it like that, I'm just saying that the Earth is a big place. There's Surf City, Aqua Town, Bayberg, and that's just off the top of my head. I can show you around."

"Really?" She said, her voice heightened with interest.

"Sure! I really only know the tri-state area, but my phone has a global positioning system." He pulled out his phone, Lapis unsure what to make of the device.

"Oh, ok. Well... let's go look!"

* * *

Jasper continued tumbling in space with nothing to grab onto and with no way to get her bearings. The blurry sea of stars around her was beginning to fuse together into a single luminous glow as her vision grew hazy, unable to cope with the disorienting spinning. She closed her eyes to shut out the dizzying show of light; her lungs burned, demanding air that she could not give them.

"Let's stay on this miserable planet, together!" Lapis' voice echoed in her head. Even in the cold emptiness of space, she couldn't escape her.

Unable to keep her mouth shut any longer, she opened it, gasping for air. Jasper breathed in, lungs filling and the burning subsiding. What had happened? She opened her eyes in confusion. She was still spinning, but the immense star field had been replaced by Earth's sky. Wind buffetted her body as she fell, the ground below her growing nearer and nearer with every rotation. After only a few seconds she was close enough to see foliage beneath her, and held her arms in front of her face, crash helmet still covering her head. With her eyes closed she punctured the tree canopy, branches and leaves scraping her as she fell, breaking as they slowed her descent. She prayed that she didn't hit any large ones—

"OOMPH!"

—a thick branch slammed into Jasper's stomach, knocking the wind out of her. She bounced backwards off of the unbroken branch, dropping another few dozen feet before slamming into the soft earth below. She looked up at the sky, light filtering through the hole that she had made in the tree canopy. Leaves and branches continued to fall around her, a few small twigs hitting her in the face. She brushed them off and felt her gem—Jasper's eyes went wide. The crack in her gem had gotten worse, and now extended almost entirely across the length of its surface. She dematerialized her crash helmet and sat up, pushing herself off of the ground and scanning her surroundings. This looked like Earth, but not like anywhere on Earth she had seen before. Huge trees stood in every direction, their thickly leafed branches blocking out the sky and their twisted roots snaking across the forest floor. Rays of light pierced the canopy occasionally, illuminating the shaded woodland. Jasper looked for something—anything—to help her get her bearings.

"Brat! Where are you?" She yelled. Only the gentle rustle of leaves followed.

"Lapis Lazuli?" She shouted, quieter this time. She turned around and saw a faint blue glow in the distance. She began to walk towards it and as she got closer, she saw that the source of the glow was a small stream snaking its way between the trees. With no other landmarks to get her bearings, she began to follow the gently flowing brook.

* * *

"I know you can't go back to Homeworld; but if you stay here, it'll be your choice to stay here." Lapis mulled over Steven's words as she looked at the autumn leaf he had handed her, rotating it slowly in her hand.

"You know, it's funny. I saw more of Earth today than I had in the past five thousand years."

Steven frowned. "That's not funny... that's super sad."

She looked at the barn to her right, than to the grassy field to her left. The sun was beginning to set, casting an orange glow over the empty plain.

"I want to stay here." She said, here voice unwavering.

"Here? Like, HERE here?"

She smiled. "Yeah, HERE here."

A nasally new voice broke the poignancy of the moment. "Yes, here here everybody!" Steven and Lapis turned to see Peridot exiting the barn. "What are we talking about?"

Lapis tensed up. "YOU?"

"Lazuli." Peridot nodded at the shocked Gem. "Nice to see you up and about."

"What are YOU doing here?"

Peridot smiled, raising her hands and gesturing at the barn. "This is my new home away from Homeworld!"

"No, it's not! It's mine, right Steven?" She pleaded, turning to him.

Steven shrugged. "Uhhh..."

Lapis sighed and closed her eyes. "This isn't going to work, Steven."

"Do you not like having roommates? Because Peridot is super neat! She even fixed the hole in the barn."

"It's not that."

Peridot piped in. "Then what is it?"

Lapis opened one eye and cocked her head at Peridot in disgust. "It's her."

"Huh?" Steven mumbled.

"SHE kept me prisoner! She's the reason I'm trapped on Earth in the first place."

"Look, Lazuli, I'm sorry about that. I was headed to Earth and I needed an informant; you were that informant. But I've changed! I even yelled at Yellow Diamond!"

Steven put his hand on Peridot's shoulder. "She really has changed! She helped save Earth from the Cluster." Peridot smiled at Steven's recognition.

The blue Gem groaned. "I just can't live with her. I guess I'll have to leave Beach City."

Steven looked back and forth between the two Germs nervously. "Wait! You could... you could live at my house, at least for a little bit."

"Really?" She said, hesitantly.

"Sure! It's pretty crowded so you'd probably have to sleep in my room... and it's less like a room, more like a platform. I call it a room, though."

Lapis chuckled. "I can live with that."

Peridot turned around and threw up her hands, walking back into the barn. "Great, have fun then! I'll enjoy these MASSIVE LIVING QUARTERS all on my own!"

Steven tapped his index fingers together and looked at the ground. "Only thing is..."

"What is it, Steven?"

"I know you wanted to get away from Jasper, and the doorway to my mom's room is right there." Lapis' hands formed into fists and began to shake—Steven looked at her worryingly. "B-but it's ok! There's no way she's getting out."

Lapis closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again, then looked at Steven with a half-hearted smile. "Maybe I will try living in the barn. You know, just for a little bit."

"Yeah! I'm sure you'll get along with Peridot once you get to know her. I really did mean it when I said she's changed." Steven ran into the barn, shouting for Peridot. The corners of Lapis' mouth dropped and her eyes narrowed as she squeezed her left arm with her hand. She stood outside the barn for a few moments, feeling the cool evening breeze before willing a smile back onto her face and following Steven into the barn.


	3. Chapter 3

"Lapis Lazuli, stop!" Jasper yelled, having spotted the blue gem wading through the ankle-deep stream that Jasper had been following. Lapis continued without acknowledging her, passing behind a tree and fading from view. Jasper ran through the stream before turning as it meandered left around the tree—Lapis was nowhere to be seen.

"What do you want from me?" She roared, her muscles rippling in frustration.

"Don't take me back to Earth!" Lapis' voice rang out inside Jasper's mind.

"You're already ON EARTH." She gripped the sides of her head, stomping onward through the shallow water, her heavy footfalls splashing it everywhere. How was the Gem doing this? Had their fusion as Malachite left them with some connection? Lapis Lazuli had kept her chained at the bottom of the ocean for months and now she was tormenting her again... in whatever this was. "You want me back, is that it?"

"I'm the only one who could handle your power, and you want me back!"

"Don't look for me, I don't want your help!" Jasper looked forward for the source of the pained voice, running through a small gap in the trees ahead of her before sliding to a sudden stop. The forest had ended, and so had the ground. Mere feet separated her from a sheer drop into an endless expanse of pink clouds, the stream at her feet running off of the precipice into the void. Laying far ahead was a massive outcropping of rock jutting up out of the pink mist, upon which sat a gleaming multitude of crystal structures. Jasper immediately recognized the architecture as that of Homeworld's world-spanning metropolis.

She flexed her back muscles—Malachite could have flown clear across that vast space. She sighed and dropped onto the ground with a thud, the cool stream trickling under and around her. "I can show you where they are." Jasper cocked her head to the side. Lapis Lazuli stood next to her, arm extended and her face a blank stare. Jasper gasped, her words catching in her throat. "You..."

She sighed and let out a deep chuckle. "You're not real, are you?" The blue Gem stood motionless. "What do you want me to do? Where do you want me to go?" She yelled, pushing herself to her feet.

The stoic Lapis looked out towards the shining city, hand still extended towards Jasper. "We're Malachite now."

* * *

"Pay up!" Pearl smiled smugly and thrust her hand out at Amethyst, who turned her head to the side with a dismissive click of her tongue.

Up in the nearby loft, Steven put down the game controller he had just picked up, turning to the pair in the kitchen. "Huh?"

"You said they were still getting along, right?" Pearl asked.

"Yeah..."

"Well Amethyst here bet that Lapis Lazuli would tear Peridot's head off in under a week's time." She turned back to Amethyst. "Steven has confirmed that they've lived together for a week now, which means I win the bet." Pearl wiggled her extended fingers at Amethyst, who rolled her eyes and dropped a crumpled wad of cash into Pearl's open palm.

"Yeah, yeah. You win." Amethyst muttered as she opened the fridge and stuck her head inside.

Steven wrinkled his brow. "Now I feel kinda bad about telling you guys how they're doing."

"That's nothing. Back when you were real little we bet on when you'd stop wetting the b-" Amethyst was interrupted by Pearl wheeling around and slamming the refrigerator door on the purple Gem's head, who groaned and stumbled backwards.

Steven winced. "What did she say?"

"Oh, nothing Steven! Amethyst is just delirious because she's gone half an hour without eating."

He looked at the cash in Pearl's hand. "Do you even use money?"

She gazed up thoughtfully as she straightened out the bills. "Well... not really. We mostly just use it for bets. I nearly always win, of course."

"Yeah she's super smart, Steven." Amethyst had recovered and was rubbing her head. "Hey Pearl, can I borrow twenty bucks for food?"

"Of course you can, Amethyst!" Pearl handed the money to her, still beaming proudly at the blatant flattery. Amethyst snatched it and ran out of the house, cackling madly as the screen door slammed behind her.

Steven and Pearl turned to the nearby warp pad as it lit up, signalling Garnet's return.

"Garnet! You're ba- eh?" As the glow faded Steven saw that in Garnet's hands was a crinkled heap of something—paper? No, snake skin. Dried scales ran all over the tangled mass. Garnet smashed her fists together and ground it up into a fine dust which fell to the floor in front of her.

Pearl glanced quizically at her. "Were you able to capture the Wind Serpent?"

Garnet's eye twitched. "No, I was not. Not yet."

"Oh?" Pearl's eyes followed Garnet as she stepped off the warp pad and walked past Pearl.

"I need you to come with me, Pearl."

Pearl spun around and followed Garnet out the door. "Where are we going?"

"To buy a net. A very big net."

Steven picked the game controller back up as the two Gems descended the temple stairs outside, and turned to his T.V.

"Hey Steven!"

He jumped in his seat and fumbled the controller in his hands, turning to his left once he'd gotten a handle on it. Lapis was perched on the window sill next to him, her wings extended and moving gently up and down.

"Lapis! I'm never going to get used to that." He exhaled as he clutched his chest with his free hand.

She smiled as she clambered into the room, her wings retracting into the gem on her back. "Sorry. What are you doing?"

"Just playing a game, but we can do something else now that you're here."

She looked around the house and saw that it was empty. "You're not busy with Crystal Gem stuff?"

Steven thumbed the controller in his hands absent-mindedly. "No, Garnet went on a mission but she didn't want me coming along—she said it was too dangerous. Her and Pearl are out buying a net or something now."

"You sound dissapointed."

"Yeah, kinda. I thought they were treating me like a full member of the team, but then sometimes they go back to treating me like a little kid."

She sat down next to him on the edge of the bed. "Don't worry, I know you're strong. You rescued me from that mirror, right? If it weren't for you, the Crystal Gems would still have me trapped in there." She shuddered and gripped her arms.

Steven blushed. "Yeah, I guess I did." They sat in silence for a few moments. "You always come by when they're not here... are you still mad at them?"

"Of course I'm mad at them," she spat, her words dripping with venom. "They're the reason Homeworld stuck me in that mirror in the first place. Then they left me there for thousands of years, and they're why Peridot dragged me back to Earth."

"Well, yeah... but you don't have to be mad at them anymore! They care about you too, they're the ones who saved you from Jasper-"

Lapis slammed her fist down on the wooden floor beside her, her wings springing forth from her gem. "DON'T say her name!"

Steven dropped the controller from his hands and reeled back in shock. Lapis face turned from rage to regret in an instant as she turned to him, grabbing his shoulders with her hands. "Sorry! I didn't mean to yell. I just don't like talking about her... and she's so close by," she said as she eyed the door behind the temple warp pad.

He put his hands on Lapis' wrists in reassurance as she dropped her head. "I-it's alright, don't worry about it."

Her head shot back up and she faced Steven, eyes glowing with renewed energy. "Hey, I have an idea!" She grabbed him by the hand and pulled him off of the bed before leading him down the loft stairs.

"What is it?"

"You want to show the Gems you're strong, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Let's finish that mission before they get back!"

Steven sputtered as she led him onto the warppad. "But Garnet told me to stay here!"

"If you listened to everything the Crystal Gems told you to do, I'd still be trapped in that mirror, Steven."

He looked around sheepishly. "Well, yeah..."

"And if I get in trouble, you'll save me again, right?"

He smiled and nodded confidently. "Mmm." Steven centered himself on the warp pad, still holding Lapis' hand in his own. With a flash of light the pad activated, and they were gone.

* * *

Pearl stared down the sights of the harpoon gun as the sporting goods clerk eyed her nervously from behind the counter. "This is entirely impractical as a weapon," she muttered disapprovingly. "I will never understand Humans' obsession with projectiles, Garnet. Garnet?"

At the other end of the store, Garnet had torn open a cardboard box and was tossing around the weighted netting it had held. The clerk looked on worryingly, but quickly decided that he wasn't paid well enough to intervene. Garnet circled around the splayed-out net, thoughtfully examining its size before nodding approvingly and turning to Pearl. "Pearl, pay the man."

Pearl carefully placed the gun back on its rack and strode over to the clerk. "We will take one of your nets," she announced, reaching into the pearl on her forehead and pulling out a piece of paper before handing it to the clerk. He took it and eyed it suspiciously; at the top of the yellowed bill read "Continental Currency," the year 1652 written in faded ink below that. "I can't accept this, ma'am."

"Well why not?" Pearl squawked at him, the man cowering behind the counter as Garnet approached with the mangled net box in her hands.

"This isn't legal currency," he pleaded. "I need US Dollars. You know, the green ones with the pyramid on them."

Pearl sighed and turned to Garnet. "I need to go find Amethyst."


	4. Chapter 4

"What did you say this place was?" Lapis inquired, scanning their surroundings.

"Garnet called it a 'Labyrinth.' It looks more like a maze than a lab to me." Mirrored walls surrounded the warp pad, extending dozens of feet high to a stone ceiling. Steven looked around at the four corridors that led away from where he stood, then turned to Lapis; she was squirming in place, a pained look on her face. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked her.

"Yes! Yes, I'm fine." She stepped off the warp pad towards the corridor in front of them, pulling Steven by the hand. "What are we supposed to do here?"

"Garnet was trying to capture a corrupted Gem—some kind of giant snake looking thing."

Lapis nodded, determined. "We can handle one measily Gem, right?"

"I think so, but Lapis... there's no water in here."

She pointed her thumb at her back. "That's alright, I keep some in my gem. Besides, I'm no wimp." She grinned and flexed her thin arm. Steven laughed as they continued down the hallway, the duo reflected all around them on the mirrored walls; she would have to be sure not to get separated from him in here.

Steven gripped her hand tighter in silent agreement and scratched his head anxiously. "I should warn you now in case we have to fight something, all I've got is my mom's shield."

"Isn't that how you always fight?" She asked as she eyed the wall, her reflection comforting bizarrely on the warped surface.

The pair stopped at a three-way intersection before continuing left.

"Mhmm, but usually I have Connie with me."

"That girl you're friends with?"

"Yeah, Pearl's been training her to fight with my mom's sword. She's been getting really good at it!" She could hear the pride behind his words.

Lapis stopped in her tracks, causing Steven to stumble as their linked hands pulled tight. "Would you rather have her here with you?"

"No way!" Steven insisted.

Her face brightened as they continued walking. "Good, because I can do way better than a sword."

* * *

Jasper reached her hand out towards Lapis', her arm shaking. As their fingertips touched, the blue Gem dissolved into water, her form curling around Jasper's arm and snaking its way to her backside. Jasper panicked, clawing at the liquid with her free arm. The water stopped moving and she turned her head to look at her back. Extending outwards in both directions were twin wings of water floating in the air. She marvelled at them, reaching out to touch one before pulling her hand back apprehensively. This wasn't fusion, but maybe...

Jasper breathed in and focused, extending her bodily awareness from into the wings that were now a part of her; feeling them, testing their movement. What had come so naturally to Malachite took conscious effort on the part of Jasper, but she ascended nevertheless. Afraid to do anything that risked shattering this delicate moment, afraid to even exhale, she flapped her wings and shot towards the city in the distance. As the violet skyscrapers grew nearer and the wind rushed past her face with increasing speed, Jasper smiled and laughed. "We can fly again!"

Her smile turned to a worrying frown as the island before her began to move up in her field of vision—she was falling. She craned her neck to look at her back, and saw that her wings had vanished.

"No!" she shouted, clawing at the air helplessly. The city dissapeared from view entirely as her forward momentum slowed and she plunged into the pink clouds below.

* * *

"Lapis, look!" Steven pointed ahead of them to a small alcove surrounded by segmented mirrors. Displayed in the one directly ahead of them was a statuesque Steven dwarfing a petite Lapis. She smirked as they approached it, placing her hand on the top of his head and moving her hand horizontally to her shoulder, as if to verify his height. "Well that's not right." The Steven in the mirror smiled confidently and put his arm around Lapis' waist, making the real pair jump back in surprise. "Thats some illusion," Steven stammered before turning to his left and laughing. "Hey, look at this one!"

Lapis tore her eyes away and looked to where he was pointing. A diminutive Steven clutched at Lapis' leg and looked around fearfully while she shielded him, her chest thrust out defiantly. Steven tapped his foot and frowned. "I think it's making fun of me." Lapis smiled meekly and turned to the mirror on her right, then screamed. Reflected before her was Malachite, her enormous bulk crammed into the corridor behind them. The Fusion grinned wickedly, hands extended and reaching towards Steven who was smiling, blissfully unaware of what stood behind him

Lapis' wings shot out of her gem, the water flowing into her hands and forming a spear before solidifying into ice. With both hands she thrusted the spear at the mirror; it shattered just as Malachite's massive hands were inches from Steven, shards raining to the ground with a clatter that echoed throughout the cavernous maze.

Steven whipped his head around in confusion. "What is it? Did you see something?"

She gestured wildly at the shattered mirror. "It was her! I saw he-" Her desperate plea trailed off as she turned back to the mirror and saw nothing but a cracked mirror with her and Steven reflected in it; her face was contorted with feverish passion, eyes ablaze and pupils dilated.

"Lapis?"

Steven's concern was met with a low roar that swept through the corridors around them and into the alcove. A strong gust of wind followed, shooting through the intersection behind them. Years of dust and debris were kicked up off the ground by the gust, bits of cobble floor falling to the ground with a sharp noise as the air became still again.

"What was that?" Steven wondered aloud, walking to the intersection.

Lapis jogged after him. "Be careful, Steven!"

He felt a soft breeze and squinted down the dim hallway they had come from. Another roar followed, then a blast of wind that made him shield his eyes with his arms. As Lapis ran towards him, she glanced behind her and saw a massive serpent snaking its way out of the alcove's central mirror. It shot forward, slamming into Lapis' back and sending her sprawling into the hallway to her right and Steven tumbling to the left with a pained grunt.

The roar faded away, dying down as the air once again became still. "Steven!" Lapis pushed herself to her feet and sprinted towards him before running headfirst into a wall. She grimaced and rubbed her head-Steven was no longer there. She looked around and saw nothing but herself, reflected in a dizzying array of mirrors.

* * *

Steven groaned and picked himself up off of the floor. Lapis was nowhere to be seen—could she have been hurt? Taken by whatever that thing was? He brushed off his hands and looked around for something, anything to get his bearings with. In every direction lay a disorienting series of mirrored walls that twisted and turned—it was hard to even tell how many paths he had to choose from. Despite having been so close to it just moments ago, the alcove with the broken mirror was nowhere to be seen. How hard had that monster hit him?

"Not a monster, a Gem." He noted aloud, reminding himself of why he had come here in the first place. He had only seen the tail end of the corrupted Gem—quite literally, its tail. Steven had just barely managed to catch sight of it as the huge serpent-like creature snaked its way around a corner after throwing him to the ground.

"Lapis!" He called out, hands cupped around his mouth and head titled towards the towering ceiling.

Nothing. He had to make a decision—Lapis was in danger, and Steven was the one in charge. Not Garnet, not Pearl, and not Amethyst. Him. He could stay here, but he wasn't even sure where 'here' was. Lapis, if she were lost like he was, might decide to do the same thing—and then they'd never find eachother. Worse, she could be in trouble right now and need his help. Steven inhaled and steeled his face, picking a direction at random and walking down the mirror-covered hallway. He swore that the maze was getting even more confusing—he kept bumping into walls and getting turned around, having to double back when he reached a dead end—either that, or the pressure of the situation was getting to him.

With a lump rising in his throat as images of Lapis played in his mind, he began to run, keeping his hand outstretched to touch the wall beside him and avoid any rough collisions. "Lapis!" he yelled again, his voice choaked with concern. As if the maze itself were answering, he felt the still air began to move, becoming a squall that stung his eyes. He assumed a defensive pose, his mom's shield appearing on his arm as he looked around frantically for what he knew was coming next. He turned to face the wind, dust and debris raining against his shield as he peered through the pink bulwark and into the darkness ahead.

Two faint lights appeared, then turned into fiery eyes that sat atop an ivory serpent's head—like some sort of legless, earthbound Dragon. The head grew in size as it neared him, followed by a length body that stretched back into the gloom behind it. Steven's eyes went wide and his knees buckled, his body paralyzed with fear. He squished his eyes shut and gritted his teeth, his shield still held high as the corrupted Gem slammed into it, the serpent's colossal weight and speed sending Steven sliding to the floor behind him, a loud 'CRACK' sounding out as it struck. He saw the shield flicker and wane as he fell, the light construct weakening and fading out of existence entirely.

"Ah!" As his back struck the floor he winced, a sharp pain shooting from his shield hand up into his forearm. He rolled over onto his stomach and tried to push himself up before crying out and falling back down as his fractured wrist burned in agony. "Lapis!" he shouted, no longer sure if he was scared for her sake, or desperate for someone to come and save him. Why had he come here? He could barely even remember. To prove something to the Crystal Gems? To show Lapis that he was grown up? It all seemed so stupid now—he just wanted to go home. He staggered to his feet, still reeling from the snake's impact and the pain in his arm.

Determined to give him no respite, a howl once again filled the maze. Steven raised his shaking arm and desperately tried to materialize his shield; sparks and sporadic spots of light flashed, but the pain in his arm was too much—he couldn't do it. He turned towards the rushing wind with tears in his eyes, completely defenseless. Those gleaming amber eyes appeared once more, moving towards him at unimaginable speed. He closed his own eyes and clutched his aching arm as his life flashed before him. The Crystal Gems, his dad, Connie, Lapis, Peridot, even Lars—he would miss them, and he knew they would miss him.

Slowly he opened his quivering eyes, first one then the other. He wasn't dead. The corrupted Gem was mere feet from his face, but its imposing head was caught in a huge net that spanned the width of the hallway; Garnet and Amethyst were braced against the ground and holding either end of it, straining against the snake's bulk. Pearl was in front of Steven, her hands grasping the spear she had thrust into the Gem's skull. The entire scene was dead silent—until the serpent dissapeared into a puff of smoke, its ivory gem clattering to the ground with a soft clink. Steven fell to his knees as Garnet and Amethyst dropped the net—he had never been so happy to see the Crystal Gems in his life. He was beaten, crying, embarassed, and he was pretty sure that his arm was broken—but he was alive.

Pearl's spear faded away as she turned to Steven and embraced the traumatized boy, squeezing him until he was sure he would burst. "Steven! Oh my God, are you alright? Are you hurt?" She leaned back and ran her hands all over his body, checking him for damage. "Your hand! Garnet, we need to get him back home right now!" Garnet nodded and leaned down to pick up the ivory gem on the ground before bubbling it and sending it off to the Temple's Bubble Room. As the gem was sent away from the maze, the walls surrounding the Crystal Gems began to shake and crumble, the mirror-lined stone walls collapsing into a fine powder that dissapeared as it touched the ground, as if it were never even there. Only a vast cobblestone floor and stone ceiling remained, a dark expanse of open space contained between them.

Looking past Pearl's shoulder as she kneeled in front of him, Steven yelled out. "Lapis!"

The blue Gem was looking around wildly; she heard Steven call out to her and ran over to him as fast as she could, the patter of her feet sounding on the hard floor. "Steven! Are you alright?"

He held his shield arm with his uninjured hand and nodded. "Yeah, its just my arm..."

Amethyst grimaced at his reddened wrist. "Ouch..."

"WHAT were you two doing in here? What were you even thinking?" Pearl blurted out, still holding Steven by the shoulders.

Lapis looked down at the ground, dejected. "I-"

Steven interrupted her, voice quavering and eyes still watering. "I wanted to show you guys that I was a Crystal Gem too, and I asked Lapis to help me. I'm sorry..."

"You could have gotten killed! Did you even stop to th-"

Pearl was interrupted by Garnet putting her hand on her shoulder. "That's enough for now, Pearl."

She sighed deeply, her grip on Steven loosening. "Yes, alright. Let's get you two home."

The five Gems walked towards the warp pad that had been revealed by the walls' collapse. Pearl walked beside Steven, holding him by his good hand as Lapis trailed in the rear, her face a mask of guilt.


	5. Chapter 5

"SPLASH!"

Peridot dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the ball of water that fell from above. Several more continued circling overhead, stalking their prey as Lapis Lazuli lazily gestured with her fingers, manipulating the floating orbs.

"L-Lazuli! Umm... Could you not do this in the barn?" Peridot stammered, picking up a nearby blanket to throw over the sensitive electronics laid out on her desk.

The blue gem bounced her crossed legs as she sat in a chair, her face a dangerous-looking scowl. "You wanted to be friends, right? This is what friends do." She flicked her index finger downward, sending another ball towards Peridot, who dodged it with a yelp.

Desperate to get Lapis' attention focused drawn away from her, Peridot broached a dangerous subject. "H-have you gone to see Steven yet?" She asked as she crawled out from behind the television set. Lapis' scowl had deepened, something the green Gem hadn't thought possible; new creases formed in her forehead and her eyes darted away from Peridot.

"As a matter of fact, I did. Then his... _friend_ Connie came and wouldn't leave." She uttered the human girl's name as if it were a swear. "The Crystal Gems are basically letting her live there." The floating water fell to the ground all around Peridot as Lapis stood up and walked towards the barn entrance, leaning against the doorframe. A dripping Peridot took the blanket off of her desk and wiped her face dry before joining Lazuli, who was gazing ruefully out into the field. The sun sat low in the sky and a light breeze sent ripples across the grass in waves.

"Is that why you left? I'm sure the Crystal Gems would be happy to have you there too. Steven must get bored being stuck at home while his arm heals." Peridot meant that, but she would be lying if she said that she didn't have ulterior motives in getting Lazuli out of their home while she was stuck in such a foul mood.

Lazuli let out a dismissive click of her tongue. "They don't want me there, I can tell. They never liked me, and now they blame me for what happened to Steven."

Peridot held her arms out reassuringly, almost putting them on Lapis before reconsidering. "No no, I'm sure they don't blame you, that's silly!"

"Maybe they should." Lapis muttered as she crossed her arms and squished them against her bosom.

"Huh?"

"I'm the one who pushed Steven into going into that maze. He didn't want to go, but I thought I could help him feel better about himself, like he did for me."

"Oh..." Peridot rubbed her arm nervously, unsure what to do with that information. Peridots were not designed to deliver emotional comfort, and Lapis wasn't an easy Gem to deal with in the first place. Still, she remembered what Steven had told her; if you're not sure what the best thing to say is, just say what you want to say. She had scoffed at the illogic of such a motto at the time, but maybe that kind of forthrightness would appeal to the blue Gem. "Even if the Gems do blame you, and I'm not saying that they do... well, I'm sure Steven isn't mad at you. In fact, he's probably worried about you right now!"

A pensive Peridot waited in silence as Lazuli turned around to face her. "Maybe you're right. Thanks, Peridot." She extended her wings before turning back to the relieved Peridot once again. "Oh, and... sorry for throwing water at you."

"This? Don't even worry about it; I needed a shower anyway." She saw Lazuli off with a wave before returning to her desk. She would have to make note of her success at emotional manipulation - if only for the purpose of self-preservation when the blue Gem inevitably took out her frustrations on Peridot in the future.

She picked up her audio recording device before quickly putting it back down. No, not that way, she thought. She knew that Lazuli had gotten into the terribly intrusive habit of listening to Peridot's diaries.

* * *

Jasper stalked through the grassy Earth field; scattered stone ruins dotted the rolling hills that surrounded her. An intense battle raged—Gem fought Gem as weapons clashed and ships flew overhead, light and sound filling the valley—but Jasper was not a part of it. She ran her hand through a Topaz as she walked, the gangly yellow Gem focused on fighting the Onyx it was engaged in battle with. Her fingertips passed through the Gem like it was a ghost, nothing but air—or maybe Jasper was the ghost. Maybe she had died in the fight with Alexandrite. It made sense.

She ran her fingers over the gem on her face—the crack was wider than ever. Somehow the intense worry that had brought her earlier was now comforting. If she were dead, she wouldn't be clinging to life so tenaciously. That is what she was, after all—a survivor. She had been made on this pathetic planet in a makeshift Kindergarten, but had come out better and stronger than any other Quartz in existence. She had fought in the Earth rebellion until Homeworld leadership had branded the planet a lost cause and ordered her to retreat. Jasper crouched down and grasped a fistful of soil in her hand, letting it run through her fingers. She could touch this, at least.

Earth's first gift to her was a harshly delivered lesson: you can be the strongest being in existence, but even then you can't protect everything. Rose Quartz had shattered Pink Diamond while Jasper was continents away, fighting on another front.

She stood back up and scanned her surroundings, then began walking towards the tallest hill in view.

Jasper had relished the opportunity to come to Earth again, to face Rose Quartz, to avenge her Diamond's death. That is, until she was confronted with that _thing_ she had morphed into. A pudgy little human—not even a prime specimen by Earth standards, let alone Rose Quartz's equal in battle. She was tempted to think that it was some final sick joke the rebellion leader had decided to play on her, but Jasper knew that she hadn't even been on her radar—to Rose, Jasper was just another grunt in a long-passed war.

A siren sounded in the sky overhead and Homeworld ships began landing as their troops disengaged from battle, running to the troop transports. A few of the phantom Gems passed through Jasper, sending a shiver up her spine.

Earth's second gift to her was a resolution to its first lesson. Jasper had long mocked Fusion as something for weak gems; a desperate gambit that only resulted in an abomination with the magnified weaknesses of both partners—until she tried it herself. She'd only tasted the full power of Malachite for a brief few hours, but it was like nothing else she had ever experienced. No doubt, no fear, no weakness. It was more than that, though. More than just being something—being _someone_ that was stronger than she had ever been. She missed the feeling of being bound to another Gem so completely that they _were_ you. Nothing could hurt them without hurting you, your pain was their pain, and there was no worrying that they would leave you—or be taken from you.

It felt strange to finally admit why she longed for that experience again, especially given what Lapis had put her through. Jasper would even go as far as to say that she _hated_ the brat. She had kept her chained in Malachite's mind while holding them both at the bottom of the ocean, torturing Jasper, paying her back for every indignity and roughness that Jasper had put her through when their positions had been reversed. Jasper knew all that, but still wanted her back. Most of all, she missed being able to fly, she thought as she looked up at the battle-illuminated sky.

She neared the top of the hill while the ships around her lifted off of the ground and ascended upwards, kicking up dust and dirt. As she crested the hill's peak, her jaw clenched and she assumed a fighting stance, summoning her crash helmet. "You!" She growled, fists raised. Before her stood Rose Quartz, shield and sword drawn, the moon behind her illuminating her pristine white dress.

* * *

Steven's character jumped in the air, delivering a perfectly-executed roundhouse kick to Connie's character's head, sending her health bar plummeting to zero. "You're too good at this game."

Steven lifted his hand off of the controller; his other arm was bound in a sling that hung over his shoulder. "I guess you could say that's why I needed a _handicap,_ " he said as he grinned and shrugged sheepishly with one arm.

"Ugh..." Connie groaned in mock exasperation, putting her controller on the floor. She peered over the side of the loft into the living room below. Amethyst was on the couch, fast asleep with a stack of Oreos perched on her chest. Her tongue shot out of her mouth like a frog, pulling one of the cookies back in with it. Never mind - not asleep. Pearl and Garnet were in the kitchen, Pearl talking animatedly while Garnet leaned against the counter, eyes hidden behind her ever-present sunglasses.

Connie had found her intimidating at first; Amethyst was like a fun older sister and Pearl had taken a liking to Connie right off the bat, but Garnet had kept her distance. Not that she was mean or anything; Connie came to realize that she just wanted to give Steven space to be a boy - a human boy - while he was with Connie. Steven didn't go to school, so his human friends his own age could be counted on one hand. Speaking of which, she needed to talk to him about school; she had no idea what he was going to put on his college application, and she thought it'd be nice if they could go to the same University. Her own parents were already planning ahead for college, which is why they had enrolled her in violin lessons - was fighting corrupted Gems an extracurricular activity? She'd have to ask her mom.

A knock at the door brought her back to Earth. Amethyst leapt up and ran to the door, Oreos flying off of her. Connie and the rest of them craned their necks to get a look at who had come calling. "Hey, you figured out how to use the door." She opened the screen door and Lapis walked in, smiling meekly as everyone looked at her.

"...You knew I was using the window?" Lapis asked, hesitantly.

Amethyst rolled her eyes. "Uh, _yeah_. We've got water stains on the outside from your wings." She pointed up at the loft.

Lapis blushed and smiled a bit. "Sorry. I'll use the door from now on." Her eyes scanned the room, falling upon Steven's messy head of hair that peaked up from out of the loft. "Hey, Steven!" She ran up the stairs and saw Connie sitting on the bed next to him, staring at Lapis. "Oh, hi Connie." She nodded at her and walked to the window, smoothing out her blue dress and sitting down on the window sill.

"That looks really uncomfortable. Why don't you sit here?" He scooted over on the bed, making room between him and Connie before patting the empty space between them.

Lapis smiled. "No thanks, three is a bit of a crowd."

An awkward silence followed; Connie was the one to break it. "Hey Steven, I've got to go. My mom wants me to finish next week's homework tonight so I have time to do next-next week's homework next week."

Steven groaned. "Aww, but you just got here."

"I know, but I'll come back tomorrow, I promise!" She picked up her backpack and gave Steven a quick hug, stealing an anxious glance at the Blue gem, then jogged out the front door, saying her goodbyes to the other Gems as she passed them.

"Are you playing a game?" Lapis asked Steven.

"Yeah, 'Crying Breakfast Friends: Weeping Deathmatch'."

She raised her eyebrow at the title. "Oh... are you winning?"

He held his finger aloft in a lecturing pose. "Lapis, it's a fighting game. There is no 'winning', only survival until a new challenger appears... but no, I'm not winning. I know I may have made claims that I could play with one arm tied behind my back, but those were the boasts of a boy. I am now a man, humble and wise." He placed his hand over his heart in an exaggerated dramatic display.

Lapis giggled. "Well maybe I can help." She stood up and sat behind him on the bed, her legs extended on either side of Steven as he sat cross-legged in front of her, his back flush with her chest. She reached around him and gripped the game controller. "Here, you use the stick and I'll use the buttons."

"That's... genius," he marveled, starting up a new game. "If you see the guy on the right punch, press 'B' to block. If you see him jump, mash 'A' so I can sweep his legs."

"He doesn't stand a chance," she proclaimed.

As the game progressed and the two of them became engrossed in the action, Steven had become aware of Lapis' chest against his back. He tried focusing on the game, but all he could think about was the warm softness pushing into him, shifting back and forth as the blue Gem moved the controller around in their combined grip. Their opponent delivered a knockout blow to their character, sending the anthromorphized Waffle sprawling to the ground as syrup leaked out of it. This game is actually pretty dark, Lapis mused.

Steven wobbled to his feet. "You don't want to play another round?" She asked him.

A sweating and fidgeting Steven tugged at his shirt collar, eyes darting shyly. "Umm... yeah, in just a minute though. I'm super thirsty, that match took a lot out of me." He ran downstairs into the kitchen where Pearl and Garnet were talking, then stuck his head into the refrigerator with a sigh of relief.

Behind Steven, Pearl sighed. "I know, Garnet; but we shouldn't push him."

Steven turned around and closed the fridge door. "What are you guys talking about?"

The two Gems looked at each other and Garnet nodded to Pearl. Pearl steepled her fingertips, putting her words together carefully. "Well, Steven. Garnet and I were reviewing your development as a Crystal Gem, and we came to the conclusion that we were... preventing you from reaching your full potential in our attempts to keep you from danger"

"Especially when you're so good at finding it," Garnet stated flatly, ruffling Steven's hair.

He stared at her, perplexed. "So what are you saying? More sword training?"

"We think it would be a good idea if you gave fusion with us another shot," Pearl continued as she tapped her chin. "I hate to admit it, but even the three of us put together barely beat Malachite." She glanced over at Lapis, who was still sitting up in the loft. "If you hadn't been there to help us... well I'm afraid to imagine what would have happened."

Steven smiled smugly. "So you're saying you need my help."

"Of course, Steven. We're always counting on you."

Garnet's sincerity took the wind out of his sails. "Oh... well sure, I'd be willing to give it another shot—but Connie is the only person I've ever managed to fuse with."

Pearl furrowed her brow. "We were discussing that earlier. When it first happened I assumed you were able to accomplish such a _bizarre_ feat by virtue of your half-human nature; but you're half-Gem as well."

Garnet picked up Pearl's train of thought. "We believe that you two were able to fuse because of your emotional compatibility with each other. Fusion is about being in tune with your partner."

Tired of waiting for Steven, Lapis had descended the loft stairs and was approaching the trio. "Is something wrong, Steven?"

"Pearl and Garnet want me to try fusing again. I mean, with someone other than Connie. So if we have to fight someone super strong again, we've got an ultra powerful ace up our sleeve."

Lapis shifted on her feet nervously, but Steven had turned back to Pearl and Garnet. "Hey, what if Lapis and I tried fusing? We're in tune! We like the same games, we both hate bullies, we bo-"

The blue Gem balled up her fists and shouted, shaking her head. "NO! I never want to fuse with you!"

The others looked at her shocked, as Lapis began to stammer. "I mean—I didn't mean to yell—"

"That's enough, Lapis Lazuli. You need to leave, now!" Pearl pointed to the door. Lapis swung around and ran out of the temple, hiding her face.

Pearl walked away fuming while a dejected Steven stared at the ground. "What do you think she meant by that?"

Garnet crouched down and put her hands on Steven's shoulders. "Don't take that to heart, Steven. Fusion means different things to different Gems, and to her it doesn't mean anything good."

Steven wiped at his eyes with his shirt and began walking back to his bed. "Y-yeah... alright."

* * *

Lapis slipped her fingers under the window and lifted, quietly sliding the window open far enough to slip into the temple. Steven was asleep in his pajamas; he had kicked off his covers which were now messily piled up at the food of the bed. Lapis tip-toed in, the loft floor creaking softly under her, then kneeled beside him. "Steven? Are you awake?" She whispered. A faint smile spread across his face— he must have been dreaming about something good.

"Sorry," she mumbled, looking at his sling-bound arm. She wished that she had had the courage to say that to him earlier. It seemed like whenever she tried to do something for him, he ended up paying the price—because of her weakness. If she were going to protect him, she needed to get stronger. She looked towards the warp pad deeper in the temple, and then past it, to Rose Quartz's room, where her demons lie. Jasper may have been locked up, but she was still tormenting the Gem from her prison. Making her weak, making her vulnerable, making her lash out at the people around her. She leaned over Steven, delivering the briefest of kisses to his lips before using her wings to glide down to the warp pad across the room. Heart pounding and legs shaking, she strode towards Rose's room. It opened and she stepped inside, the door shutting behind her.


	6. Chapter 6

"BANG!"

Earsplitting blows rang out as Jasper's fists struck Rose's shield over and over, the heavy strikes reverberating throughout the empty battlefield; the pink Gem buckled under the assault as the punches landed like meteors, each one pushing her back a few inches as Jasper advanced on her.

"You will not complete this colony!" Rose vowed through gritted teeth. Jasper stopped her attack and shifted her stance, giving Rose an opening. She took the bait and thrust her sword out from behind her shield, followed by Jasper stepping to the side and delivering a powerful kick to her forearm. The sword slid down the hill beside Rose, coming to a stop somewhere in the tall grass below.

"That's why you betrayed Homeworld? For these _animals?"_ Jasper lunged at Rose, landing on her raised shield before being flipped over Rose's backside, reversing their positions.

"They can change and grow, that's what's amazing about them. Never the same, from one moment to the next." Jasper circled her like a feral animal stalking cornered prey, arms raised and hands open like claws.

"I don't _need_ to change, I was perfect from the moment I was born!" Jasper shot forward but slipped on the slick grass. Rose took advantage of her blunder and swung the shield towards her face, striking Jasper in the gem. The stunned Gem staggered backwards, clutching her face with one hand and swinging around wildly with the other.

Jasper sneered. "What did their _change_ do for you anyway? Turned you into a traitor, a murderer!"

Rose frowned sadly. "If you're perfect, then why do you look so miserable?"

Jasper reached out towards her while Rose swatted at her hands with her shield. Jasper grabbed it and gripped it with all her might, hands holding it still in space like a vice. "I'll feel better once I've shattered you." Jasper squeezed, every muscle in her body contracting as she pressed her hands towards each other. The barrier between them creaked and groaned as it resisted Jasper's strength, but her brute force was too much; it cracked, the shield shattering into ethereal shards that faded into nonexistence.

Jasper threw herself at the weaponless Quartz, landing on top of her as she fell back with a grunt. "This is for our Diamond," Jasper yelled as she raised her fist above the gem on Rose's navel.

As she brought her fist down, Rose dissolved into a pink mist that parted easily before Jasper's descending hand. "What?" Jasper looked around; the entire battlefield was disintegrating, replaced by an endless, featureless violet glow. Still on her knees, she saw Lapis Lazuli approaching her.

"Hahaha..." Jasper laughed darkly. "You can't let me have anything, can you?"

The blue Gem lifted her arm as she walked, water flowing from her gem and forming an icey spear in her hand.

Jasper held her arms out to her side, exposing her chest. "Well, go on—show me whatever's next."

Lapis stopped in front of Jasper, spear held high and poised to strike, her face deadly serious.

"What are you waiting for, brat? Do it!" She stood up and grabbed Lapis' wrist and was shocked to find that she could touch her.

"Oww!" Lapis yelled, shaking free of Jasper's rough grip.

"You... you're real?" Jasper fell to her knees and clasped Lapis' free hand in her own. "Wait, don't go! Fuse with me again!"

Lapis reeled backwards in surprise, the spear she was holding melting and splattering to the ground. "W-what? Why would you want that?"

"I miss it! I know I've hurt you, but I've changed! I can show you!"

Lapis looked down at her; the gem on her face was cracked and her eyes were wild with passion. "NO! I'm never fusing with you again!" Lapis waved her hand, sending the water on the ground shooting at Jasper and knocking her to her back. "You can just rot in here."

Jasper picked herself up and looked around, but Lapis had disappeared into the clouds that surrounded her. She sat down on the ground, feet planted forward, and rested her head on her knees.

* * *

"I've called this meeting so that we can address the elephant in the room," Pearl announced while Garnet and Amethyst sat on the couch in front of her.

Amethyst took her hand out of the bag of cheetos she was holding and narrowed her eyes at Pearl. "Uh, rude."

"Not you, Amethyst. The hostile Gem we have contained in a very questionable makeshift prison," Garnet turned her head towards the door to Rose Quartz's room. "Jasper's gem was cracked after we fought Malachite. She's contained, but that crack will only worsen."

Amethyst lounged back on the couch. "So? Let it. who cares about Jasper?"

"She may be an enemy, but are you willing to let her shatter?" Amethyst avoided Garnet's gaze, appearing to rethink her callousness.

Pearl jumped in. "Even if we agree that Jasper's Gem should be repaired so that we can bubble her properly, there are practical concerns. We don't have the technology to repair a fractured Gem, and Steven's healing powers are... unstable."

Garnet and Amethyst looked at each other, both thinking the same thing. "Well, there's always Rose's fountain," Amethyst said with a grimace, prepared for pushback from Pearl.

"What? No! Absolutely not! I will not let that... _brute_ sully Rose's most sacred enclave!"

Garnet stood up. "Right now that's our only viable option. We'll have to come to a decision soon."

Pearl crossed her arms and tapped her foot anxiously while the other two Crystal Gems walked away. The fountain may have be the only option now, she thought; but not if she could help Steven regain his healing powers.

* * *

"Hopefully this is what you were looking for, uh... Peridot, right?" Connie asked as she set a box full of prosthetic limbs down inside of the barn.

"Peridot facet-2F5L cut-5XG, but yes; you may call me Peridot. I know how you humans love your nicknames." Peridot leaned over the box and began rummaging through it, throwing items aside and thoughtfully examining others. "Yes, these will do nicely. Thank you, 'Connie'."

Steven nudged her with his elbow. "The perks of your mom being a doctor."

"Yeah, I guess so. They were just going to throw these out... what did you need them for, anyway?" She peered over at the green Gem, who was busy examining the blueprints she had laid out on the table.

"A very good question, Connie. When I was at odds with the Crystal Gems and fought them to a standstill—"

Steven raised his eyebrow, but held his tongue—he would let her have that one.

"—I was outfitted with limb enhancers that brought my physical specifications up to levels that matched my mental capabilities." The diminutive Gem pointed at her head proudly, then turned downcast. "That is, until I was temporarily defeated and Amethyst dumped them into the ocean."

She turned around and brooded over her desk, which Connie was grateful for; she was struggling to stifle a laugh.

"Speaking of which, Steven, Amethyst told me about Lapis' outburst the other day." Peridot said as she turned back around.

"Oh, that... I was actually hoping to talk to her today. I realized that it was my fault; I said some things that I didn't really think through..."

Connie glanced between the two, not sure what they were talking about. Something must have happened after she had left.

Peridot shrugged. "Well I haven't seen her since last night. It's best to give her some space when she's like this, Steven."

"What happened?" Connie interjected. Steven explained in dry terms what had led to her yelling at him, leaving out some of the more personal details.

"Wait..." Peridot said, gesturing between the two humans. "You two can fuse?"

They looked at each other, responding simultaneously. "Yeah."

Peridot threw up her arms. "Impossible! I mean, amazing! You have to show me!"

"Ehhh... It's not really something we do just for the heck of it." An excited Peridot walked towards Steven, her tiny hands clasped in a begging gesture and eyes pleading with him.

Connie looked at her and smiled. "I don't mind, Steven. I like fusing with you."

"Well... alright, then." Connie took Steven's hands in her own and they began to dance, Peridot observing with rapt attention.

* * *

"Incredible! It's so bizarre, and unnatural, and wrong, but you can really do it! You fused with a human!" Peridot examined the statuesque Stevonnie, who dwarfed the Green Gem.

"Uh, thanks... I think. Well, this is me."

"So you're a new person? Or are you Steven and Connie in one form?"

"Thats hard to explain. You've never fused before?"

Peridot's face turned beat red. "Of course not! I've never needed to. I understand the process well enough, though—intellectually speaking."

"Maybe, but it's one of those things you don't really get until you've done it. Telling Steven or Connie that it's like sharing a body wouldn't have prepared them."

Peridot circled her, eyeing the Fusion quizically. "Hmm... so why was Lazuli so upset when you offered to fuse with her? It doesn't seem like such a big deal to me."

"Well, her only experience with Fusion was being trapped at the bottom of the ocean with Jasper for weeks—"

Peridot held up her hand. "I was stuck on a ship with Jasper for weeks—I don't need to understand fusion to empathize with that."

"—and Steven probably shouldn't have brought up something like that while Pearl and Garnet were there."

An intruder drew Stevonnie and Peridot's attention. Into the barn ran Pearl, eyes ablaze. "Stev—onnie?" The fusion returned Pearl's quizzical look like a dear caught in headlights, a glow overtaking her body as her form warped and twisted, expelling Connie and Steven and dropping them onto the barn floor. "Why were you..." Pearl shook her head. "You know what? I won't even ask. I need you to come with me Steven, it's a matter of life and death!"

Steven's eyes went wide and he inhaled sharply. "Someone's dying?" He asked, voice quivering.

Pearl walked forward, holding her arms out reassuringly. "Oh! No, no Steven—I was just being dramatic. It is important though, so I need you to come with me right away." She circled behind him and walked him out of the barn, leaving Connie and Peridot alone.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Peridot turned to Connie with a smile. "So, have you ever watched Camp Pining—"

"I'm going to head home."

* * *

"Alright, Steven. Let's see what you can do."

Steven nodded in grim determination and walked towards the edge of the room where Centipeetle's bubble hung in the air. He jumped up, grabbing the translucent red orb and bringing it back down with him to the ground. The bubble dissolved in his hands and the deep green Gem contained within floated away from him, a bright glow growing in size around it—first into the shape of a humanoid woman, but quickly twisting and distorting into the corrupted centipede-like form that they had captured.

The glow dissipated, leaving a confused and hostile Gem standing before Steven. It clicked its beak as corrosive acid dripped from its mouth onto the floor. It's eye-like gem in the center of its head swiveled towards Steven and blinked—did it recognize him?

"Hey, remember me?" He reached out and tried to pet it, but the Gem screeched and pulled back from him, assuming a defensive posture.

"Be careful, Steven!" Pearl said as she pulled out her spear.

"It's fine, I've got this!" He jumped up near where he had retrieved Centipeetle's gem and pulled down another bubble—it popped, revealing a bag of chips. "You remember these, don't you?" He dangled the bag in front of the Gem, which started salivating, more acid pouring out of its mouth onto the ground with a sizzling noise.

He tossed the bag to it, the Gem catching the chips in its mouth and tearing into them enthusiastically. Steven took advantage of the distraction and licked his hand before running at the creature. As it looked up at him, he slapped his spit-covered hand on its eyeball. It screeched and staggered back, blinking frantically; Steven and Pearl both waited pensively.

They didn't have to wait long. A light covered the corrupted Gem as it became still. It's form grew and lengthened—many of its legs disappeared, one set growing into a human pair of legs while another pair formed arms with hands at the ends. The beak retracted, it's face growing a prominent—but very much human—nose above a thin set of lips.

The large gem in the center of its face shrunk inwards slightly and shifted to the side, forming its right eye. Another eye grew on the left as the Gem's bushy white head of hair grew and it's bangs fell over its right eye. Tufts of fur popped out at the Gem's wrists, neck, and ankles—the only distinguishing features on the black bodysuit covering her from neck to toe.

Steven watched in amazement as the Gem dropped to her knees before looking around and walking to one of the reflective surfaces lining the room. She examined her reflection, poking and prodding her face. Steven approached her as Pearl followed closely behind him, spear still at the ready.

"Hi... I'm Steven. Do you remember me?"

"Ah... yes." The Gem turned back around. "It feels like a dream now." Her voice was completely monotone and her face expressionless. Not in a scary way, Steven thought. Just... empty.

"What's your name?"

The Gem tapped her chin a few times and looked up. "Nephrite. Facet, umm..."

"Dont worry about it, Nephrite is a good name."

"Is the war over?"

"The war? Oh..." Steven looked back towards Pearl, concern on his face.

She approached Nephrite and put her hand on Steven's shoulder. "Yes, the war is over. The rebellion was victorious, but at great cost to both sides."

"That is what I thought." The green Gem said as she ran a hand through her thick head of hair. "Do you have my crew?"

"Your... crew? I'm afraid I don't know what you mean. We haven't encountered any other Gems like you."

She looked down woefully. "That is unfortunate."

Steven glanced between the two Gems before pointing towards the spiral staircase leading out of the bubble room. "Hey, why don't we go find the others? This room is kind of creepy."

* * *

"Garnet! Amethyst! Peridot went through puberty!" Steven ran down the slope leading away from the temple. Garnet and Amethyst were laying on lounge chairs on the beach, enjoying the summer sun in very human fashion.

They stood up when they saw Pearl and Steven approaching with the tall green Gem. "That's... not Peridot." Garnet concluded.

"Nope, this is Nephrite. Remember Centipeetle?" Steven said as he gestured to her.

Amethyst's jaw dropped. "That's Centipeetle? Last time I saw her she was spitting acid and chewing on sofa cushions."

Garnet put her hands on her broad hips. "I would have phrased that differently, but I was thinking something similar. How were you able to reverse the corruption?"

Steven crossed his arms and stuck out his tongue proudly. "You're looking at it," he sputtered.

Garnet turned to the silent green Gem. "Nephrite, how are you feeling?"

"Much better now." She looked down at the human boy. "I did not thank you yet for healing me—thank you. Are you... a Gem?"

The Crystal Gems looked at each other. "That's... complicated. Let's talk inside." Garnet pointed them back towards the temple built into the Cliffside.

* * *

"You're half-human half-gem? It seems I've missed a lot." Nephrite examined Steven's gem, close enough to see her reflection in his navel. He lowered his shirt and Nephrite leaned back on the couch. The rest of the Crystal Gems were all gathered in the room as well.

"Now that you're up to speed, we'd like to know more about you." Garnet said.

Nephrite looked up at the ceiling, deep in thought. "I was captain of a vessel during the rebellion."

The other Gems eyed each other warily; they had assumed this to be the case already, but the overt confirmation made things awkward.

"I'm sure you understand by now that we're with the rebellion. Are you loyal to Homeworld?"

Nephrite shook her head slowly, still gazing upwards. "When I finish telling my story, you'll understand why I'm not."

She clasped her hands and rubbed her thumbs together. "We were ordered to this planet in the final days of the rebellion—we were supposed to execute bombing runs on enemy positions. On our very first mission, we were shot down and crash landed. My crew and I survived, but it was at that time we received the order for planetary evacuation."

"They didn't try to rescue you?" Pearl asked.

Nephrite's nervous tapping of her fingers sped up. "It was far too late for that; the Diamonds had written off the planet at that point. After the crash, when I was calling in our status, I saw it in the sky—their ultimate weapon. I never thought they would use it."

The Gems looked at each other uneasily.

"Three rays of light, blue, yellow, and white—and a song; a terrible song that breaks your mind and body down into something unrecognizable."

Beads of sweat were forming on Steven's forehead; what were they talking about? The Crystal Gems didn't talk about the war much, and Steven didn't pry—but _this?_ It was like something out of a horror movie. How could Gems do that to each other?

Everyone else in the room looked at him, and he realized that he had said that last thought aloud; Garnet was the one to answer. "War isn't pretty, Steven. The Diamonds were desperate; when your mother shattered Pink Diamond—"

" _Shattered_ Pink Diamond?" Nephrite interjected, her voice unusually animated.

Garnet nodded. "Surely you must have known? Rose Quartz fought and shattered her. That was when the rebellion truly began."

The green Gem waved her hand back and forth and shook her head. "That could not have happened."

The corner of Pearl's lip curled up smugly; she didn't share Garnet's concern for the horrors of war. "It may be hard for you to believe, but Rose defeated her in single combat. I played a crucial role, as well," she said as she held her hand to her chest.

"That may be so, but Rose Quartz could not have shattered Pink Diamond."

Pearl frowned. "Oh? Why is that?"

"Because the Diamonds' light converging on this planet was merely the trigger—the shattering of another Diamond is the weapon."


	7. Chapter 7

Pearl leapt up from the couch. "You think we're going to believe that? I was there! I _saw_ Rose shatter her!"

Nephrite waved a thin finger. "I do not know what you think you saw, but it was a Diamond's death that caused the corruption you four alone were somehow shielded from." She looked Garnet up and down observantly. "You _five_ , rather."

"So she—what, pretended to shatter Pink Diamond?" Pearl began to pace in front of the couch, gesticulating anxiously. "Why would she do that? And without telling _me?_ No, I don't believe it," she declared, stopping in front of the coffee table and folding her arms as the rest of the group sat silently.

Amethyst and Garnet sat silently, letting the other two have it out. Then Steven remembered—they hadn't even been there for his mom's battle with her Diamond. They were nearly as much in the dark as he was. As he looked at Garnet, an idea came into this mind and he snapped his fingers. "Garnet! Can't you, like, see into the future... but in reverse? To check if that's what happened?"

A warm smile crept across her face before disappearing again. "I'm afraid that's not how it works, Steven. I can see the ways in which the present may play out, but to piece together the past from our present... that's another matter entirely."

"We don't need Garnet's future vision to know that this is nonsense," Pearl stated as she flapped her hand before turning back to Nephrite. "Why would Rose stop short of shattering Pink Diamond? She didn't _want_ to, but it was war! She wouldn't have held back for no reason."

The furry-necked gem drummed her fingers on her legs. "Perhaps to use her as a bargaining chip with Homeworld? A shattered Gem holds no value." Pearl crinkled her lips, her face a mix of angst, disbelief, and just a _bit_ of amusement when she considered Rose having a Machiavellian side she hadn't known existed. "Ok... but why hide it from us? Capturing her would've been as big a victory as shattering her."

"Would your allies in the rebellion have been satisfied with her mere capture?" Nephrite's pointed question made Pearl and Garnet glance at each other uneasily; Steven didn't know the story there, but he had a feeling that they knew exactly what she was talking about.

"Would Homeworld really do that to one of their own?" Steven asked uneasily. "I knew they were bad, but that's..." He trailed off, still processing the implications of what he was hearing.

"She lost control of her planet," Nephrite interjected. "Maybe the Diamonds wanted to send a message to any other seditious elements in the empire that they were capable of wiping them out without leaving Homeworld."

"But they can only do it..." Amethyst looked at her hand, raising three fingers one after the other. " _Three_ more times! And one of them dies every time? That's a pretty crap weapon."

"They don't need to use it again," Garnet noted. "Not when the Gems beneath them don't know its cost."

Pearl tapped her chin, listening to their back and forth with a doubtful expression. "Hey! If that's the case, how do _you_ know about all this?" She put her hands on her hips and leaned towards Nephrite.

A pained expression gripped her face and her hands moved about aimlessly, trying to find some nervous repetitive action to perform; she settled on tapping the sides of her thighs as she exhaled sharply. "Because I... helped design it."

Steven felt like that revelation would have been shocking under normal circumstances, but they were already too overwhelmed by the flood of new information. Pearl rubbed her temples and squeezed her eyes shut, as if in unspoken agreement. "Wait... I thought you said the other Diamonds shattered Pink Diamond by themselves."

"No, don't be ridiculous," Nephrite remarked dismissively. "Certainly not from star systems away; they needed something—a device, to focus and direct their power."

Garnet directed the conversation back on course, apparently willing to take the Gem at her word for the time being. "And then you, the creator of this device, wound up on the receiving end of it. That's quite convenient."

Nephrite turned her head the slightest amount towards her. "I'm sure it was... for them."

Steven couldn't contain himself any longer and stood up on the couch cushion. "But now you're yourself again! You know what the Diamonds did, and you can tell other Gems. There must be... _someone_ who cares!"

Pearl held back a gasp as she stared at him, in disbelief at how much he resembled his mother in that moment. "L-Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Steven. We're only seven Gems, and Homeworld is... _Homeworld."_

"What's that matter when we've got the truth on our side?" He gestured enthusiastically at each Gem in turn. "In movies, the good guys are outnumbered and outgunned, but they always come out ok in the end. We've got the repentant turncoat—" He pointed at Nephrite.

"The stoic leader!" Garnet cracked another brief smile and adjusted her sunglasses.

"The snarky trickster!" Amethyst cocked her finger and winked at him.

Pearl grimaced, preparing for whatever undesirable archetype Steven had in mind. "The uptight team mom!"

She sighed.

"And we can't forget the spiritual heart of the team," he declared, beaming proudly.

The rest of them waited quietly until Pearl spoke up. "That would be... you, I assume?"

Steven looked around in mock astonishment. "That's very kind of you Pearl, thank you."

"None of us disagree, Steven," Garnet noted. "But this won't be easy. The Homeworld Gems have been living under a dictatorship for millennia, and they aren't going to take us at our word—

"They won't need to," Nephrite remarked. "Not if you take me to my ship."

"How will that help?" Pearl questioned her.

"I had some idea of why I was being sent to this planet, so I made preparations. I have schematics and coordinates for the weapon stored aboard my vessel."

Steven hopped off of the couch onto the floor. "That's exactly what we need, right? They'll have to believe it!"

Pearl eyed the warp pad behind them. "Well... it would be good to know what we're dealing with, at the very least. Where's your ship?"

Nephrite blinked and turned to Steven. "I need to use a global positioning device."

He looked at her blankly as the gears turned in his head. "Oh! Like GPS? Uhh..." He patted his pants pocket before looking around the room. "Try the bathroom," he said, pointing down the hallway beside the kitchen. "I think I left my phone on the sink." Nephrite stood up and ambled over to the door, fiddling with the unfamiliar doorknob for a moment before entering.

A knock on the front door drew the attention of the other Gems; Lapis was standing outside, a blank expression on her face. She didn't look mad, or sad, or... anything, really—maybe Steven had made a bigger deal out of their argument than she had.

"Go on, Steven. We'll wait here." Garnet said, giving him a thumbs-up.

He plodded towards the door, moving at a speed that would let his mind come up with something to say to her before he reached it. 'I'm sorry'? 'Let's pretend that never happened'? Or should he just forget about it entirely, and not reopen old wounds. As he neared her, Lapis turned around and walked down the stairs; Steven sped up, throwing open the door and hurrying after her as she walked down towards the beach. "Hey, wait up!" He pleaded, chasing her onto the soft sand below the temple. She was facing away from him, looking out towards the ocean.

Steven tapped his fingers together, eyes darting around nervously. "Ah..." He swallowed, wanting to say this right the first time. "I'm sorry if I made you feel weird. Sometimes I say things without thinking them through all the way."

Lapis turned to face him, her upper lip trembling as droplets glittered in the corners of her eyes. "You really hurt me, you know."

His knees shook as he held his arms out imploringly. "I'll do anything to make it up to you, I swear!"

Lapis wiped at her eyes with her arm and sniffed. "Alright, you can start by giving me a hug," she said, smiling as she clasped her arms behind her back.

He blinked away the wetness forming in his own eyes and ran to Lapis, wrapping his arms around her slim waist. "I'll do it every day forever if you want."

"No, just once is fine," came the cold reply. Steven felt the surging heat of an electric current coursing through his body, and everything went dark.

* * *

"They'll be fine, Steven just needs to do that puppy dog face and the ice queen will melt right down." Amethyst slid off of the bar stool and opened the fridge.

Pearl sighed. "I hope you're right. I'd hate for Steven to lose a friend over something so trivial. I thought _I_ was his friend, but apparently I'm the 'uptight mom'."

Amethyst laughed, but was cut short by a pained cry coming from outside the house. "What on Earth was that? Was that Steven?" Pearl strode towards the door, but was immediately thrown back as an explosion rocked the front of the house. She fell to the floor and felt something whiz past her, holes appearing in the temple facade as noises like cannon fire echoed throughout the room.

Wooden furniture and kitchen appliances exploded around Pearl as she crawled across the living room floor towards the protection of the kitchen counter, trying desperately to avoid the assault as blast after blast shook her eardrums. Garnet flipped over the coffee table and crouched behind it, her sunglasses ripped off of her face as a projectile ripped through the table like paper, missing her by the skin of her teeth. The bombardment slowed, then stopped—in the center of the room were floating six baseball-sized metallic orbs. They spun in the air for a few moments before flying back out, leaving more holes in a wall that had already been turned into swiss cheese.

"What the _hell_ was that?" Amethyst gasped, peaking out from behind the refrigerator door.

Gauntlets appeared on Garnet's fists as she dropped the destroyed table. "I don't know, but now is the time to move." The Gems jumped into action, trailing Garnet in single file as she kicked down the front door and ran out onto the front porch before skidding to a stop. Below them on the beach stood Lapis Lazuli, an unconscious Steven draped over delicate shoulder.

The orbs that had left the house floated past her, converging on a tall figure that stood further down the beach. She stood at nearly twice Lapis' height; a dusky-skinned, statuesque woman with buns of dark hair seated on either side of her head. She wore a black tunic and leggings that exposed her navel, the fabric stylized with jagged designs of varying hues of gray. Her hand was lazily waving back and forth with her index finger pointed upward, the metal balls orbiting around it like tiny moons.

"Lapis Lazuli!" Garnet shouted, leaping off of the balcony and landing on the sand with a muffled thud. The blue gem spun around and sprinted towards the hostile Gem, Steven bouncing on her shoulder as she ran. As Garnet gave chase, one of the orbs flew towards her. She dove onto the ground and could hear the impact of the sphere against one of the pillars supporting the temple patio. Pearl and Amethyst gripped the railing to steady themselves before drawing their weapons and jumping off, landing on either side of Garnet.

"What do you want?" Pearl shouted, unsure herself as to whether she was shouting at Lapis or this new Gem. She heard a rumble and the creak of wood behind her, ducking down to narrowly avoid the orb flying past her head as their opponent flicked her finger, beckoning it back to its comrades.

"I want you to come with me," she barked. Her voice was a grating howl—deep, but with an undertone of metal scraping metal as each word escaped her throat. "Incapacitated, preferably." She raised her other hand, drawing three of the six orbs above it and widening her stance threateningly. The Crystal Gems steeled their faces and pushed off of the sand, charging at her and Lapis.


	8. Chapter 8

Lapis stood in the doorway of the temple, mouth agape as she surveyed the blasted dwelling. Broken furniture and debris were strewn about, and the front facade looked like it had been the victim of a driveby shooting.

She entered, careful to avoid a smashed plate with her bare feet. What had happened here? Where was Steven? Given the state of the place, she was almost _glad_ that he was nowhere to be seen. There was no sign of the other Crystal Gems, either; the normally vibrant home was now dead silent.

"Steven? Amethyst? Garnet?" She shouted, waiting for a response. "...Pearl?" She heard a squeak to her right; the bathroom door had been cracked open, and someone was peaking out at her. As she began walking towards the bathroom, the door slammed shut again.

Lapis knocked on the door. "Hello? Is someone in there?"

No answer. "It's safe now, you can come out." Still nothing. Lapis drew the water from her gem and prepared to batter down the door, when it creaked open in front of her. She quickly returned the liquid to her gem and stared in confusion at the frightened Gem in front of her.

"Who are you?" She asked.

The green Gem looked at her for a moment before responding slowly. "I'm Nephrite."

"Did you do something with the Gems that live here?"

"No, they were taken by others."

"What about a human boy?" She measured her tone carefully, not wanting to scare the gem by being too aggressive.

"He was also taken."

"And these 'others'; they were Gems, but not with you?"

"That is correct."

"How did you not get taken?"

She scratched the side of her head with a slender finger. "I, ah... I hid."

Lapis lowered her eyebrows at her. "You _hid?_ "

"I am not designed for ground combat."

Lapis narrowed her eyes. If she had been here, she would have fought—she might not have won, but she would have fought anyway. "What happened afterwards?" She asked, her voice cracking. "You said they took them?"

Nephrite nodded. "I believe so, yes."

" _Where_ did they take them?" Lapis shouted. Why was it so hard to get information out of her?

A roar sounded, followed by a rumble that shook the temple. Toiletries fell off of the bathroom counter and Lapis had to grab onto the door frame to steady herself. "That may be related," said Nephrite.

Lapis ran past her to the bathroom window and looked out towards the ocean. A long cylindrical object extended down from out of the sky, terminating in a flat disc. Enormous amounts of energy were shooting from the center of the disc into the sea, the searing beam boiling the water and sending a vast cloud of steam into the air that quickly obscured the device.

"What is that? What are they doing?" Lapis puzzled, gesturing out the window.

Nephrite walked over to the window and examined the scene dispassionately. "They're drilling."

Lapis followed the drill upwards into the sky and squinted; she could just barely make out the shape of a ship—it must have been hovering dozens of miles up. Through the continuous roar of the drill, Lapis became aware of a repetitive beeping—it was coming from elsewhere in the house. She looked around the bathroom, then walked out into the main room and ran up the staircase to Steven's loft as the sound grew clearer. On his bed lay his laptop; she picked it up before sitting down on the bed and placing it on her folded legs, then opening it up; on the screen was a very frightened Peridot.

"Stev—!" She squinched her eyes and shook her head. "Lazuli! Are you seeing this?"

"Yes, I'm seeing it," she shouted, struggling to be heard by Peridot over the din outside. Ordinarily she would've rolled her eyes at a question like that, but for once she shared the other Gem's nervous energy. "Steven is gone! So are the other three. What do we do?"

"We need to find the Crystal Gems, _obviously._ But step one is stopping that drill before it releases the Cluster!"

Lapis raised an eyebrow incredulously. "What is a 'cluster'?"

Peridot smacked herself in the forehead with an open palm. "That's right, you were chained at the bottom of the ocean during that."

Nephrite had followed Lapis upstairs, and leaned into view of the laptop's webcam. "You were trapped underwater?"

"Lazuli!" Peridot shouted, holding her laptop shakily in one hand and pointing at the screen with the other. "Behind you!"

She jumped in her seat before glancing behind her at the other Gem and seeing what had gotten Peridot so worked up. "She's friendly! It's fine! What were you saying?" She leaned in towards the screen, trying to block Nephrite from view.

"Underwater... how long?" Nephrite wondered aloud. Peridot was craning her neck in a futile attempt to peak around Lapis as the blue Gem loomed large in the video chat.

"Not you, her! Peridot!" Lapis explained, nodding her head at the laptop.

"What?" Peridot stammered. "Oh! Who is that?" She repeated, her voice fraught with tension.

Nephrite crouched down beside Lapis, placing her hand on her shoulder and tilting the laptop so that Peridot could see the both of them. "Peridot, this is Lapis—you know her already."

Lapis closed her eyes and inhaled slowly through her nose, filling her lungs as the two Gems continued to talk past her—she was no longer paying attention to the words. She opened her eyes and exhaled through her mouth, sending water out of her gem that gripped the sides of Nephrite's head and turned it away from the computer.

"Peridot," she said, coolly, stopping Peridot's aimless chatter in its tracks. "What is the 'cluster'?"

"Oh! Ok, well..." The green Gem looked frantically around the barn. "I don't have my diagrams handy."

"Just use words," Lapis suggested, her lip twitching. She released her hold on Nephrite's head, and she returned to her earlier state of peering over Lapis' shoulder.

Peridot walked over to a table and set down the laptop, taking a few steps back and adopting a dramatic pose. "The Cluster—a forced fusion of millions of gem shards, house within the core of this planet—"

 _Forced_ fusion? Lapis gasped. "That's horrible!"

"—temporarily contained by Steven when he convinced the Cluster to bubble itself as an alternative to its release, which would have shattered this planet."

"So they're trying to release it?" Lapis asked. "Why?"

"Yellow Diamond thinks she weaponize it." Peridot put her hands on her hips. "I defied her, of course—even called her a clod."

"And now they're back to force it out. How long do we have?"

Peridot spun on her feet and scampered off screen before returning to the table. Lapis could hear her scribbling furiously with a pencil and paper, then saw Peridot's head lean in over the camera. "Two hours! I estimate that within two hours time, that drill will have reached the outermost limits of the Cluster. Once that bubble breaks, it's over." She pulled out a chair from the table and slumped onto it, staring up at the barn's rafters.

"Then we need to get on that ship and stop it!"

Peridot struggled back upright, leaning towards her laptop. "How are we going to do that? You can fight, but I'm more of a... thinker." Peridot turned to Nephrite. "Can she fight?"

Lapis already knew the answer to that. "No, I fly." Nephrite stated flatly.

Peridot threw up her hands. "Great, two Gems that can fly, wherever that gets us—which is probably nowhere, considering that ship will be equipped to blast you out of the sky if you get anywhere near it."

Nephrite waved her hand back and forth. " _I_ can't fly. My ship flies, and I fly my ship."

"That's—" Peridot started excitedly, before growing calmer. "—actually better; if she can drop you on top of it, you have a chance of sneaking on board. A _small_ chance, mind you."

"Wait." Lapis interrupted. "Do you _have_ a ship?"

Nephrite lifted Steven's phone up and held it inches from Lapis' face; a topographical map was displayed, with a red dot glowing softly in the center. "My vessel lies here."

"Ok..." Lapis muttered, leaning away from the bright screen as she took the phone in her hand.

She could hear Peridot speaking through the laptop. "That's great, but unless that vessel is a fully-manned cruiser, it's not shooting down their ship."

Lapis wracked her brain for a plan. All her life she'd been the victim, the passive one—now she was facing something that couldn't be ignored. Not if Steven was going to have a home to return to; not if _she_ was going to have a home.

"Peridot," she ventured. "If I get to the ship's controls, can you walk me through stopping the drill?"

She beamed proudly and placed her hand on her chest. "While I don't have experience with the operation of that particular vessel, you are speaking to someone with over 30 certifications across a variety of—"

"Is that a yes or a no?"

Peridot swallowed. "Yes."

"Then you'll think, Nephrite will fly, and I'll fight."

"Slow down," Peridot protested, leaning forward in her chair. "Even _if_ she gets you aboard, you don't know who's on that ship! If they took down the Crystal Gems, how are you going to beat them?" She coughed and sat back down. "No offense."

"No, you're right. That's why I won't be going as me."

"A Fusion? You don't mean..." Peridot eyed Nephrite, who turned away in embarrassment.

"No, we need her to fly her ship. I had someone else in mind."

* * *

Jasper lifted her head off of her knees as she heard a noise somewhere in the trackless expanse of clouds. She almost missed the endless confusing torture of her previous environs—almost.

"Hey." Jasper tilted her head back lazily, and saw Lapis Lazuli standing behind her, hand extended. "Do you still want to fuse with me?"

"Why would you want to do that?" Jasper asked incredulously.

"Because someone I care about was taken. I need your power to get him back."

"Someone.." a slow chuckle rose from deep in her chest. "Don't tell me it's Rose Quartz."

"Steven is not Rose Quartz!"

Of course he was, but he had manipulated Lapis Lazuli expertly. That's what Rose did, after all—she was a manipulator. "You hate me. You want to save that _thing_ badly enough that you'll fuse with me?"

"He saved me from being fused with you—I'm going to pay back that debt."

Jasper tilted her head and looked up at the featureless pink sky. "Maybe I don't want to fuse with you anymore—ever think about that?"

Lapis clenched her fists. "I could make you."

"You could _try,_ " Jasper corrected her.

"Then I'll go after Steven myself. Who knows, maybe I'll get captured too, then _no one_ will let you out of here." The truth was that Jasper's remaining life would be measured in hours if Lapis failed, but Jasper didn't need to know that.

Jasper thought for a moment, then grinned. "Alright. I wouldn't mind seeing Rose Quartz again, either."

"If you hurt him, I'll kill you."

Jasper didnt doubt Lapis' threat for a moment, but she wasn't scared by it, either. After her internment at the ocean floor, somehow even the threat of violence had become comforting. It felt warm, intimate— anything was better than this lonely hell that the Crystal Gems had locked her in.

She reached out towards Lapis, her own hand engulfing the much smaller blue one; yet Jasper trembled as they connected.

* * *

A new series of quakes rocking the temple drew Nephrite out of the bathroom and into the temple's main room. Was it the drill finally cracking the earth in two?

No, this was something else entirely—two large hands reached out of the open door behind the warp pad, straining against the creaking frame until a sea-green colored head popped through, followed by a white mane that flowed like water with the Gem's movements. Two sets of eyes turned towards Nephrite, as did the playful grin spreading across Malachite's face.

"It's good to be of one mind again."

By the Diamonds... it seemed the culture of this planet had affected the Gems that lived here to a startling degree—on Homeworld, this would have been an abomination.

"Where is this ship of yours?" Her voice boomed as she pulled the remainder of her enormous bulk through the doorway, having to crouch low to contain herself within the house.

"Ah... we'll have to use the warp pad to reach it." Nephrite eyed her nervously while skirting the wall and made her way onto the warp pad, avoiding Malachite's huge body as she joined the smaller Gem on the pad, her front two feet just barely fitting onto the platform.

Nephrite frowned and shook her head. "That's not going to work. If you insist on fusing, do it once you're onboard the enemy vessel."

Malachite stared at her blankly for a few moments before wincing and rubbing the side of her head. "No, I don't know what I'll... I mean what we..." Growing frustrated with her inability to articulate her muddled thoughts, her voice rose to a roar. "...what _Jasper_ will do. You go get your ship!" Turning around on the warp pad, she squeezed into the kitchen and advanced towards the front of the temple, battering down the front wall as she made her way outside.

Nephrite grimaced as the building shook and the last of the blasted-out facade was swept aside by the hulking Fusion. The warp pad activated, and Nephrite was gone. Malachite leapt off of the front porch and landed on the slope below, sending fine sand up into the air around her. She extended her wings and looked up at the open sky, relishing the endless freedom of being out here—and of being _herself_ again. As she scanned the horizon, her eyes landed on the drill, moving upwards to see the hazy outline of the ship above. It looked far less threatening than when Lapis had seen it earlier—like an insect, ready to be swatted.

She squeezed a hand tightly, testing her boundless strength. Why wait for Nephrite and her millennia-old ship? The two halves of Malachite bickered and reasoned, gradually forming a consensus upon which the Fusion could act. She wanted to see Steven again—she knew that much. She couldn't remember why, and she wasn't sure what she would do when she reached that ship. All she knew was that she had a goal, and the means to achieve it. What else _did_ she need?

Both sets of her eyes focused on the ship in the distance, and her body tensed as her mighty wings drifted upwards. She flapped them back down, blasting sand all around her as she rose into the air. As the ground grew more distant and the ship grew closer, she again found herself smiling—something she did far more than her two halves.


	9. Chapter 9

"Oh boy, this again."

Steven leaned his head against the cold metal bars of his cage, examining the vast circular room he was in. With no windows, he had no idea if he was in space thousands of miles from earth, or deep underground. His surroundings were reminiscent of Peridot's ship, although that might've been the similar situation coloring his judgement. He could hear a faint but distinct noise in the background... a roar, like the moment the ocean breaks against the shore, stretched out into infinity.

He closed his eyes and ground his head against the bars and grimaced. Lapis... there had to be some explanation. He knew Pearl would have smiled sadly and remarked that he always saw the best in people, but what Lapis had done made no sense; she hadn't seemed like herself. Could it be mind control? Could Homeworld do that?

"What a strange little creature you are." Steven opened his eyes and looked up, but squeezed them shut again and put his hands over his ears when they were assaulted by an ear-shattering screech, like nails on a chalkboard. He cracked open one eyelid and saw a strange grey Gem standing outside of his cage, dragging a pointed finger up one of the metal bars.

She stopped and stared, her unmoving gaze cutting right through him. The whites of her eyes weren't white at all; they were black, just like her pupils. The only distinguishing features that gave a clue as to where her sight was directed were faint rings of yellow encircling the center of her eyes. "I was told that the force fields don't work on... whatever you are," she said, lip curling. "So I improvised." She ran her hand up and down the bar, evidently far more interested in it than she had been in Steven.

"Its... very nice." All sorts of witty comebacks and jabs had passed through his mind, but they evaporated the moment he took another look into the Gem's empty eyes.

"You should like it; it's made from your planet's metal."

"O-oh. Do you like metal?"

The Gem stepped back and frowned. Had he managed to strike a nerve even with that innocent question? "What I don't like is your planet. They sent me here, and I can feel it tugging at me, pulling..." She looked at her feet and Steven followed her gaze, seeing nothing but the bare steel floor. That must mean they were still near Earth, at least. She shook her head and continued. "No matter; soon all that will be left of the planet is... this." She stroked the top of the cage, almost lovingly.

"What?" Steven shouted, gripping the bars. "What are you going to do?"

The Gem stuck her open palm out at Steven and flapped her fingers. Something hit his head, and he fell to the floor of the cage before looking up and seeing that the ceiling had just gotten a few feet closer—he could no longer stand up straight. "You don't get to ask questions," she spat. "I have broken many planets; I am eager to see what comes out of this one." With that she turned around, striding out of the room with her hands clasped behind her back, boots clanging against the ground long after she had rounded a hallway corner.

Furious, Steven rattled the cage bars. In a fit of inspiration, he stepped back as far as the small cage would allow and summoned his shield. Weapon in hand, he pulled his arm back and found that his elbow struck metal with the bars in front still only a foot away from him. He drove his fist forward, striking the bars with a sharp clang that rang out through the room, but he couldn't pick up enough speed to do any real damage—and he risked alerting his captor if he repeated that too many times.

Banishing the shield and letting his arm droop to his side, Steven leaned his face between against the cold metal once more. As he stared listlessly out into the hallway leading from the room, he saw a figure crouching low, peering around the corner before moving fully into view. It was Pearl—she hadn't yet seen him, but had stopped in the hall intersection.

"Pearl!" Steven hissed, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Over here!"

She looked around for the source of the voice before spotting him, abandoning all pretense of stealth to run over and pry at the cage bars with her hands. "Steven, are you alright?" She asked frantically. "What did they do to you?"

"I'm fine, just cramped." Still crouched low, he rubbed his aching legs. "I can't get out of here; there's not enough room to use my shield."

Pearl took several steps back and reached up to her forehead, ready to retrieve her spear from her gem. "Don't worry! I'll slash open those bars like paper." She took a final step back and stumbled, then steadied herself. "I'm still a bit shaken from having to retreat into my gem, but I'm confident that even if I miss, you won't be wounded too seriously."

"Wait, wait!" Steven shouted, waving his arms. There had to be some other way to get out of this that didn't put his body in danger. He had all these powers...

That was it. "Pearl! Hide behind something." She gave him a confused look and shrugged before walking over to a crate and crouching behind it. The top half of her head rose above the top, eyeing him expectantly. Steven took a deep breath and stood as tall as the space would allow, summoning his bubble. The pink-tinted sphere appeared all around him, followed immediately by the creaking and buckling of his prison. Metal beams flexed outward as their tensile strength was pushed to the limit; they dug into the surface of the bubble as he gritted his teeth and sweat rolled down his forehead. No longer able to withstand the expanding force, the cage exploded with a triumphant bang as metal was torn from metal and shrapnel sailed all across the room. Pearl ducked fully behind the crate to avoid a jagged piece of iron flying past her head, nearly taking a lock of hair with it.

Steven let his bubble dissipate and examined the room as Pearl cautiously emerged from her hiding place; she and him looked to be the only two things in the room not riddled with the remains of the cage.

"We should get moving, I'm sure someone heard that," Pearl cautioned, jogging over to Steven and guiding him to the door.

"Are the others here too?"

"Yes, but they're keeping us separated. Garnet and Amethyst are somewhere nearby, I'm sure of it." They entered the hallway and she steered them to the right at the intersection. "I saw a map after I escaped... I think I know where they're being held."

"Then we have to rescue them! That Gem won't stand a chance if we're all together."

Pearl reached out and stopped him. "Steven, I didn't want to tell you this now, but... Lapis is working with Homeworld. She's the one who captured you."

Steven's lip quivered and he clenched his fists. "I know what it looked like... but there has to be some explanation."

Pearl shook her head. "You never really know someone deep down, Steven. I just want you to prepare yourself for the possibility that we'll have to fight her."

Steven continued walking, letting her hand fall from his shoulder. "It's not going to come to that. Even if she is working with Homeworld for some reason, I'll... I'll talk to her—I'll make her see that she's wrong."

"Steven, you need to trust me... it's just us here—"

"It's not just us! We're going to find Amethyst and Garnet—and Peridot and Nephrite too, if they captured them."

Pearl stopped Steven again, more forcefully this time. He could feel her fingers digging into his collarbone. "They didn't capture everyone?"

"N-no," Steven stammered. "I don't think so."

Pearl sighed. "Thats a relief. Do you know where they are?"

"Nephrite's probably still hiding in the temple... and Peridot hardly ever leaves the barn."

Pearl released her grip and walked around Steven, beckoning for him to follow. "I'm sure they're fine; we can worry about them later." They approached a sealed door, and Pearl examined the keypad beside it thoughtfully before swiftly punching in a lengthy number combination. The twin doors retracted with a whoosh, and she entered the room.

"Wow! How did you do that?" Steven marvelled.

"Well, I... identified the most worn buttons and knew those must be part of the combination."

"Ok, but how'd you know which buttons to press?"

"Math, Steven. Algorithms—you wouldn't understand, just hurry up," she said dismissively, cocking her head back at him.

Steven hurried through the doorway as the doors slammed shut behind him—a noise that barely registered with him. He was too busy gazing in awe at the sight before him. The pair stood on the edge of a vast circular room full of arcane machinery, at the center of which raged a frightening storm of electricity. Current surged forth from a conduit in the ceiling, passing through open air to a hole in the floor below. The pop and crackle of electricity emanated forth from it, and Steven could feel the hairs on his arm standing on end.

His gaze turned back to the ceiling, where several smaller conduits ran across the room. Steven followed one, and his eyes fell upon a person-sized red forcefield being fed by the display of power before him. Adjusting his focus, he could make out the distinctive shape and color of a Pearl's gem floating in midair within the device.

"Pearl! They're keeping other Gems here!" He ran forward, his body moving faster than his mind. Both were stopped by a barrier shooting up from the floor, connecting with his head and sending him falling back onto the ground with a sharp zap that he could both hear and feel. His head throbbed and his body burned from his contact with the barrier. This wasn't weird and cool like the force fields on Peridot's ship—this one hurt.

Still seated, he turned around and saw that the field extended all around him—he was trapped. Pearl was standing nearby, but she wasn't looking at Steven. Her gaze was directed to a control panel near the middle of the room, overlooking the beam of electricity. Rods and levers of varying shapes and sizes stuck out at all possible angles, an impossibly complex array of controls.

"I told you, Magnetite! You catch more flies with honey!" Pearl shouted, but Steven had no idea who she was talking to until a circular portion of the ceiling floated down from above the control panel, revealing the Gem who had interrogated him a short time earlier. Her hands were clasped behind her back and her steely gaze was directed at Pearl; she didn't even acknowledge Steven.

"I do not understand your Earth-acquired colloquialisms, and I refuse to respond to them." As the disc she stood on settled to the floor, she turned to the control panel and manipulated several of the levers with deft flicks of her wrist; Steven could feel the ship's inner workings groan and shift in response, and the beam in the center of the room narrowed in focus as it increased in intensity.

"Two Crystal Gems remain loose," Pearl continued excitedly, holding up two extended fingers towards her comrade. "One in the temple we raided, and the other in a nearby agricultural shelter."

No response came; Magnetite began circling around the room, running her hands over machinery and interacting with some of it briefly before continuing onwards.

"Well? What are you going to do about them?" Whoever this was, it wasn't Pearl—not Steven's Pearl, at least. Even after dropping the act, everything but the content of her words and actions still reminded Steven of Pearl; her gestures, her demeanor, her way of talking—it was downright unnerving, like the Gem couldn't stop the act she'd put on.

Magnetite stopped in her tracks and finally addressed the fake Pearl. "I will do nothing. In a short time, this planet will be rubble floating in the void of space—as will everything on it." Steven shuddered at the cold calculations of the Homeworld Gem; she was talking about his home, and the home of everyone he knew and loved—to her, it was just an unwelcome assignment.

Pearl crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one side, tapping her foot impatiently. "Then why did you command me to interrogate the human?"

"To keep you busy," came her superior's response.

She furrowed her brow and watched the grey Gem step onto a metal disc, raising her hand and ascending upward through a hole in the ceiling.

"You're not Pearl," Steven stated, for his own sake as much as the impostor before him. "Who are you?"

Her attention returned to her captive and she walked towards him with a pained expression. "Maybe I am Pearl, Steven," she said, gesturing theatrically. "Maybe your friends have all turned on you!"

"They would never do that," he declared confidently. "And I would never betray them. So whatever you're going to do, it won't work."

"But Steven, I don't need to do anything!" She pranced over to a view screen on one of the consoles lining the room and studied it with gleaming eyes. "I've studied you all carefully," she explained, holding up an index finger. "And I'm quite sure that a certain someone will be coming for you." She twitched and shuddered, her skin rippling in waves, as if she were in danger of losing her form.

"This may be unprofessional of me to say, but I'm very interested in seeing how it all turns out." She balled up her fists and shook them excitedly in front of her face as a smile spread across it.


	10. Chapter 10

Malachite soared towards the ship floating in the sky above, waiting for it to deploy whatever defensive measures Peridot and Nephrite had sworn would be awaiting her, but none came—and she was almost there. This was why she shouldn't listen to small gems, weak Gem's who didn't possess a fraction of the power at her disposal.

She drew nearer and began circling around the ship, looking for an entrance. Distance had masked the ship's true size; now that she was close enough to touch it, she could appreciate its true enormity. It didn't look like a military vessel—more like an industrial vessel. Sleek design and aerodynamics had been foregone in favor of cargo space and practicality. Wings growing tired, she grasped an outcropping of metal on the side of the hull and continued crawling along the surface, peering around the crenulated surface for a way in. A quick peek around the bottom of the ship had her turning back; the laser drill was emanating incredible amounts of heat, enough to discourage her from trying to stop its operation in the simplest way possible—she would have to find a way to switch it off.

With her claws dug into the surface of the ship, she felt a shudder pass through the hull and then quickly cease—something opening? Above her, a ship bay door sat ajar, open to the cold air of the upper atmosphere. A trap? Perhaps, but it wasn't a trap if you knew it was one—and nothing onboard that ship could truly threaten her, anyway.

She crawled up the ship siding, slithering into the open passage with all the grace expected of a multi-ton Fusion. Containers and equipment littered the edges of the bay, empty of whatever ship it had once served as a launch pad for. In the hall ahead of her stood Steven, face beaming playfully.

 _Steven!_

 _Rose Quartz..._

Malachite stepped forward, prompting Steven to take off running down the hall and around a corner. She gave chase, moving purely on instinct with little cohesive idea of what her goal was anymore, if such a thing had ever been clear. Lapis and Jasper had each possessed their own vastly disparate reasons for fusing, and those personalities clashed inside of her as she struggled to reconcile those conflicting thoughts and emotions. Love, hate, fear, revenge, she couldn't make the pieces fit together—so for now, she simply moved.

The ship's interior was as vast as the outside had hinted at, but not much more accommodating to Malachite's monstrous form than the temple she had just left. Squeezing her hindquarters around a corner and through an open doorway, she emerged into yet another vast space, this one crackling with energy and the hum of active equipment. She could feel the electricity in the air, could smell the ozone created by the power surging from ceiling to floor—the ship felt alive, and this was the heart—but where had her prey gone?

"Malachite?"

The Fusion craned her head to the left. There he was, caught behind a red forcefield and wearing an expression far sadder and more confused than the one she had given chase to.

"How... why are you Malachite again?" His voice quaked, a mixture of disappointment and sadness that cut through Malachite straight to Lapis.

 _Explain it to him; he'll understand._

"I came to get you, Steven. I did this for you!" Her voice boomed, briefly drowning out the background din of the ship and drill.

"I never asked you to!" He shouted, tears in his eyes. "I didn't ask you to fuse with Jasper!"

 _Why is a warrior crying?_

"I didn't ask you to chain yourself at the bottom of the ocean!"

"I just wanted to help—"

 _Have I helped?_

Steven's pained expression made her question all of her past actions. Was she really that selfless? Had she done those things for him? Or was it just an excuse to martyr herself, to be the victim? It was a role she knew well.

 _We never should have come here._

Malachite shook and trembled, her face twisting and distorting, the two sets of eyes on her face separating, than her mouth, a grotesque reversal of Fusion that reflected Malachite's inner turmoil. A bright glow overtook her and she finally split apart, Lapis and Jasper falling to the metal floor unceremoniously. As soon as Lapis had made contact with the ground, a metal disc slid under her prone form and a forcefield sealed her inside, leaving her as confined as Steven was. Jasper stood up and looked over her surroundings; neither Steven nor Lapis could read her face.

"Two for one!" A shout came from behind the electrical conduit, followed shortly by an exact replica of Steven. A metal disc descended from the ceiling, carrying Magnetite who looked more than slightly annoyed at the additional passengers aboard her vessel.

"Yes, yes. Very impressive," she said, dismissively. "Now drop that form—its disgusting."

The new Steven shrugged at the imprisoned one and smiled sadly. "Her words, not mine." The shrug turned into a twitch that spread over his entire body, a seizure that began as a lengthening of limbs and became a total change of form. Where had once been a short young boy now stood a tall, pale green Gem. She wore a sleeveless tunic that left her slender arms exposed. Her gold hair was swept back, revealing a massive scar that ran diagonally across her face from chin to forehead, splitting her nose in two.

"And what to do about you?" Magnetite wondered aloud, floating towards a stone-faced Jasper.

The orange gem took a few steps back, seeking to avoid the embarrassing fate her partner had fell victim to.

"The briefing mentioned a Jasper sent here some weeks ago—presumed shattered," the grey Gem remarked, pulling up a holographic screen on her wrist and examining an array of information. "Am I to assume that was you?"

Jasper nodded cautiously. "Yeah, that was me."

The Gem above her frowned. "You are addressing an authority of yellow Diamond. Where is your decorum?"

Jasper stood at attention and crossed her arms in the Homeworld salute, body standing at attention in a pose that had long ago become muscle memory. "Apologies."

Behind Magnetite the scarred Gem smirked and rolled her eyes, then pushed off of a crate and left the room—she'd had her fun, and was quickly losing interest in the direction events had taken. Lapis, who had recovered from the separation more slowly than Jasper, rose to her feet and banged on the barrier in front of her uselessly.

"Let me out here!" She demanded. "Jasper!" Lapis' pleas fell on deaf ears, Jasper ignoring her completely and Magnetite examining her as one would a caged animal.

A soft ring came from Lapis' direction; she fumbled for the phone in her dress, smothering the speaker with her hands in a frantic attempt to silence it. She looked up and saw that Magnetite had maneuvered directly in front of her cell.

"What is that?" She eyed the phone. "A communication device? Answer it."

With some vague recollection of how she'd seen the thing operated, she flipped open the phone and came face-to-face with a green Gem—not Peridot, but Nephrite. She sat in the cramped bridge of what looked to be her ship.

"Lapis Lazuli?" She asked, squinting at the low-resolution video feed. Lapis nodded and swallowed guiltily.

"I'm sorry, Malachite got carried away. The plan didn't work—"

"Who is on the other end?" Magnetite inquired, lifting the phone out of Lapis' hand with a flick of her wrist and bringing it to the edge of the forcefield. "To whom am I speaking?"

"Nephrite, Facet 7A0N, Cut 31L," she barked in response. Magnetite stood silent for a moment, deep in thought.

"Cut 31L... I was under the impression you were all destroyed in the rebellion."

"Not destroyed, only hurt... and I got better."

"I see." Magnetite measured her words carefully, unsure of the Gem's motives. "Homeworld will be glad to hear that you survived. Rendezvous with my ship immediately, and we will return you home after my mission here is concluded."

Nephrite tilted her head back and eyed the grey Gem contemptuously. "I will _never_ return to Homeworld, not after what the Diamonds did to my crew and I."

"Your words border on treason, 31L. The rebellion threatened to spread from Earth and infect more worlds; the Diamonds were _forced_ to scorch it—"

"Were they _forced_ to shatter Pink Diamond?" Her angry words cut through Magnetite's own, Nephrite's formerly sedate tone having turned heated. Jasper, who had been waiting patiently behind Magnetite, snapped to attention at Nephrite's words.

Magnetite's fingers quaked and the phone shook, a crack forming across the length of the screen. "You will watch your tone, lower Gem."

"No, I will speak how I like—and you will leave Earth in peace, or I will spread the data I have on my ship to all corners of the Empire. All will know that the rebels did not shatter Pink Diamond."

Magnetite seethed, dropping the phone to the floor with a clatter while the disc she stood on spun around. Levers on a console across the room moved downward, and the forcefield around Lapis Lazuli disappeared.

"You, quartz soldier!" The Homeworld Gem shouted at Jasper, still fuming. "You are to fuse with this Gem, form that _thing_ that crawled in here earlier—" she pointed at Lazuli. "—and destroy that Nephrite's vessel!"

* * *

Jasper stared down at the near-helpless blue Gem in front of her. Lapis looked back up at the towering Quartz soldier, unable to interpret the grimace spreading across her face—until Jasper spun backwards, pivoting at her waist and bringing her fist at the grey Gem to her rear. Before the moment of contact, one of the metallic orbs maintaining its constant orbit over her head broke away from the pack, flattening out and shielding her from Jasper's sudden attack. Magnetite floated backwards, her protective shield dissipating to reveal a scowling face.

"You dare?" She shouted, bringing both hands up and summoning the orbs above her finger tips.

"Yeah, I dare," she retorted as she gave chase, smacking aside a projectile flung at her as she charged. The stray orb struck a lever on the same console that had released Lapis Lazuli, followed immediately by the forcefield around Steven flickering and then fading away completely. He stared in awe at the fight raging across the room, Jasper chasing her floating superior as the latter hurled all manner of debris at her. The magnetically-gifted Gem reshaped it on the fly, scrap and unused machinery reforming into vicious-looking implements of destruction en route to Jasper. The quartz soldier moved far more deftly than her size would lead one to expect, dodging what she could and using her immense strength to bat away what she could not.

Tearing his eyes away from the fight, Steven helped Lapis to her feet, then turned to see what had happened to the other Crystal Gems—the containment fields were down for them as well, their gem forms lying inert on the floor.

"Go, I'll be fine!" Lapis assured him, giving Steven a gentle push towards them. Doing her best to block out her immediate concern for Steven, the fight taking place a few dozen feet from her, and all of the other things that pulled her attention in a hundred different directions, Lapis looked over the room carefully, giving it the attention she couldn't have as Malachite. This was the center of the ship; not a bridge—there were no windows, consoles, view screens, not much of _anything_ besides electrical equipment and machinery of indecipherable purpose—but somewhere in here had to be a way to turn the drill off.

"Pearl! Garnet! Amethyst!" Steven knelt on the floor, holding the three gems in his cupped hands. Behind him, the fight had slowed—not in a good way. Jasper was breathing hard, her movements sluggish and her reactions delayed. Magnetite was landing blow after blow at her leisure, secure in the distance she maintained from the lumbering brute.

"Now would be a really good time for you guys to wake up!" He pleaded, waiting with baited breath for the trio to reform. Unable to wait any longer, he pocketed the gems and turned to the fight. Magnetite floated high in the air, between him and Jasper. To her right was the surge of electrical current still flowing freely through the room from ceiling to floor, powering the drill far below the ship. Steven summoned his shield with one hand, and with the other cupped his mouth as he yelled.

"Jasper! Electricity makes magnets lose their charge!" He yelled, relaying an educational tidbit that Connie had mentioned to him offhandedly. He was sure she was right—he just hoped that he was remembering it right. He also hoped that Jasper had heard him as he drew back his arm and swung it forwards, releasing his shield at just the right moment—

—no, too late. Jasper and Steven both watched as the fast-moving discus flew wildly off target, missing Magnetite completely and striking the wall to her left. With a clang it bounced off of the paneled surface, momentum carrying it away from the wall—and right towards Magnetite. The shield caught the Gem totally unaware, knocking her from her perch and onto the floor below.

"I meant to do that!" Steven shouted.

She recovered quickly and rose to her feet, but even in Jasper's battered condition the quartz was far faster. She sent herself hurtling, wrapping her arms around the Gem and running them both through the focused beam of energy in the center of the room. They emerged from the other side in a split second, Jasper falling to the floor and Magnetite rolling from her grasp and coming to a stop some distance away.

Wisps of smoke drifted off of their singed outfits as they both rose again, Jasper bringing her fists in front of her face and preparing for Magnetite's retaliation. Her face twisted up in anger, she raised both hands upwards, metal spheres rising from the floor, a battery of death staring Jasper in the face. They fell just as quickly, and Magnetite's anger turned to confusion. Again she tried to lift something, anything—but she couldn't move her surroundings an inch.

Jasper dropped her fists and began walking towards her.

"Just you wait!" Magnetite backed away, nearly tripping over a power cable running along the floor. "Another minute, and I'll be back at full power!"

Jasper cracked her knuckles and raised an eyebrow curiously. "You think you've got a minute?"

* * *

"What am I supposed to do?" Lapis asked, clutching the phone and staring down at Peridot in video form.

"Show me again!"

Lapis held the phone up and spun it slowly around the room, giving Peridot a cursory view of what she was dealing with.

"There's no computers or switches or anything. It's just... levers and cables." She looked around the room desperately at the equipment. It was utterly alien. Not just Homeworld alien, but alien even to Lapis; it was like that Homeworld Gem had made all of this herself.

"What about the pilot? Interrogate her!" Peridot demanded. Lapis could hear her tiny fists pounding a table. "Remember how I interrogated you?"

Across the room, Jasper stood triumphantly over Magnetite, her right hand gripping the gemstone in the center of her enemy's chest. Lapis gasped and ran over, hopping over debris and cabling.

"Jasper, wait! We need her!"

Jasper's grip loosened but did not release, her fingertips still dug into the edges of the gem. Lapis leaned over Magnetite's face as Jasper straddled her body.

"How do we stop the drill?"

A haunting laugh escaped Magnetite's throat. "You cannot stop it." She raised a hand and flicked it at one of the levers experimentally, to no effect. "Neither can I, even if I wanted to—and I do not. This planet will be dust."

"Then what good are you?" Jasper asked flatly, and squeezed her fingers around the gemstone in her grasp.

Magnetite gripped Jasper's thick wrist, both of her hands together barely fitting around the muscular forearm. "This will not end. If you kill me, they will come for you." Jasper's arm shook and veins bulged as she channeled all of her strength through her fingertips. "They will send armies—"

As Magnetite's body faded away she shrieked, her shriek turning into an echo that carried through the ship after her hard light body had retreated into the stone. Jasper looked down at the gem in her open palm, then closed her fist and began to squeeze.

"What are you doing?" Steven ran towards Jasper, holding out both hands in front of him. Jasper gave him only a short glance before squeezing her hand tight and crushing the gem with a single sickening crunch that stopped him cold in his tracks. He watched in shock as Jasper tilted her hand sideways and let the crushed bits of gemstone pour out of the side of her fist.

Jasper looked down at the diminutive human in disdain. "You really aren't Rose Quartz." Steven frowned and returned her stare with one of equal intensity.

"And you're not a hero." Jasper shrugged and let the last of the bits of gem fall from her palm. Lapis jumped in between the two of them and held up her arms as if to keep them at bay.

"There's no time for this!"

Another voice came, this one through the phone in Lapis' hand. "You have minutes. Minutes!" Peridot yelled frantically. "I know that I said I could figure out how to stop the drill, but..." she trailed off, the implication clear. The call was interrupted by the buzz of static, then a new voice.

"I can stop that ship's operation, but you need to depart the vessel." All three recognized the staid tones of the green Gem they had only met a short while ago—in her true form, at least.

"Nephrite! Where are you?" Steven gripped the phone and tilted the screen towards his face, he and Lapis both angling for a view.

Nephrite raised her hand calmly. "On my ship, which I will use to stop the drill. For now, leave that vessel as quickly as possible."

Lapis grabbed Steven by the wrist and pulled him after her, taking off running down the hall she had entered through as Malachite. What had seemed like tight corridors earlier were now cavernous halls, giving plenty of space for the two to run side by side, Jasper trailing shortly behind. The docking bay came within view and they could see Earth's pink evening sky—freedom, if not necessarily safety. That last part was out of their hands.

Lapis pulled Steven towards the edge of the precipice and extended her wings, securing her grip on his hand, his sweaty fingers interlocking with hers. Her knees bent as she prepared to cast off, but she stopped short and looked back. Jasper stood a ways behind her, unmoving. She eyed the Orange Gem briefly before extending an open hand; Jasper walked towards her and wrapped her huge hand around Lapis' thin wrist. All three stood at the edge of the bay and waited, avoiding casting their eyes downward at the seemingly endless drop below them. Lapis crouched down and pushed off, the lithe gem carrying her two passengers out and away. Try as she might, she couldn't hold her altitude. With every few feet she flew forward she dropped twice as many, and it grew worse as Jasper's bulk pulled her down.

"I can't do this," she strained through gritted teeth, wings flapping slower and slower.

Jasper looked up at Lapis, then to the frightened young boy in the Gem's other hand, then to the clouds beneath them. The ocean surely lay below—a place Jasper missed, despite what she had endured there for so long. She looked up at Lapis again, and gradually loosened her grip.

"Sorry," she mumbled, heaps of regret and conflicting emotions summed up in one simple word that she couldn't even muster up the courage to say wholeheartedly. Pathetic, she thought, as she let go of Lapis' arm and began to fall.

Unburdened by Jasper's weigh, Lapis jerked up in the air before realizing what had happened and looking down at the falling Quartz. She gasped and swooped down, her attempted rescue interrupted by a gust of wind that buffeted her and sent her spinning through the air. She nearly lost her grip on Steven's hand and reflexively pulled him close, hugging him to her bosom with both arms wrapped around his chest. The two looked back and saw Nephrite's ship flying past them, towards the far larger vessel still sitting in the air behind them.

Both of them watched, enraptured, as her ship bore down on her target. They waited for Nephrite to use something, some miracle weapon that would shatter it and save the day; but the distance between the two ships grew smaller until the end was obvious. Nephrite's ship, having grown so far away as to be almost invisible against the hull of the opposing ship, became a brilliant explosion that tore open the side of the mining vessel. It creaked and groaned, tilting forward in the air. Whatever technology that rendered it immune to the laws of gravity damaged by the blast it, it began a descent that grew faster with each moment until the immense construct had vanished beneath the clouds.

Steven and Lapis both looked away as the last bits of debris fell away, leaving the two figures the only remaining fixtures in a lonely sky.


	11. Chapter 11

Steven looked down at the Gem half-buried in the soft beach sand and frowned. Orange and yellow streaks ran over its angular surface, and a deep crack threatened to break the stone in two. In his hands he held a bubble full of splintered green shards, the shattered remains of Nephrite floating in the red sphere like a twisted jigsaw puzzle that he could never hope to put back together. He heard the crunch of sand and turned to see Lapis and Pearl approaching him, a bubble of water floating between Lapis' hands with another fragment of Nephrite suspended within. She manipulated the watery sphere so that it sat above Steven's and pushed the stone into his bubble.

"I think that's the last of it," Pearl commented as Lapis let the water drop onto the sun-warmed sand.

"The last of _her,_ " Steven corrected Pearl, staring intensely at Nephrite's broken form. "I only knew her for... a day. Knew the _real_ her, I mean—and she gave her life for us."

Pearl placed her hand on Steven's shoulder. "You've done all you can, Steven. Even Rose's... even _your_ healing powers have their limits."

Steven winced at the slip, remembering Jasper's comment that had weighed on him since the day before: 'You really _aren't_ Rose Quartz,' she had said. He had told her that same thing again and again, but to hear it from her had hit him hard—and to hear it from Pearl now cut him right to the bone. He sighed and let the bubble drift upwards slowly. He was tired, and his chest ached with the pain of loss, but he had never been more determined.

"I don't care how long it takes," he vowed. "We'll see each other again." The bubble vanished, spirited away to the inner sanctum of the temple.

He returned his attention to the Gem in the sand below him, picking it up and holding it in his open palm. Jasper had held Magnetite just like this, then crushed her without a second thought—like she was nothing. His eyes scrutinized the deep crack that ran down the middle; he could do the same to her, and no one would blame him. His mother would have done the same thing, right? She was a warrior, who waged a war that spanned the planet. She must have shattered Gems in her battles.

No. That was who Jasper was, and it might have been who his mother was, but it wasn't who _he_ was—he already knew who he was. Steven licked his left hand and raised it high before bringing his spit-coated palm down on Jasper's Gem. Radiant light emanated from between his hands, and he lifted the topmost one to reveal Jasper's healed gemstone.

"Take this," he muttered, handing the gem to Pearl. "I don't want to see her right now."

Pearl took the gem and eyed it in deliberation for a moment. They had kept Jasper imprisoned—for very good reason—but according to Steven's account of events, she had betrayed Homeworld and was instrumental in saving the planet from destruction; something like that weighs heavily on the scales of justice.

She thumbed the orange stone before placing it into the pearl on her forehead, then followed Steven and Lapis as they walked back up the hill to the temple. Maybe, like Lapis Lazuli, Jasper could...

Pearl shook her head. No, it wouldn't be that nice or that simple. They may find themselves both opposite Homeworld by chance, but Jasper was still Jasper—and becoming an ally to the Crystal Gems was as much up to her as it was to them.

* * *

"Steady... steady..." Garnet waved her hands forward like someone guiding a plane in for a landing. Amethyst was perched above her, straddling one of the wooden beams that had formerly comprised the temple roof. Much of the roof had been stripped away by Magnetite's attack, the rest by Malachite's exit, leaving a patchwork skeleton of splintered supports and no real cover for the rooms below. She held her whip with both hands, the other end coiled tightly around a horizontal strut that she was lowering slowly onto a support pillar below.

How hard could home repair be? Join some beams, nail some wood together, slap a few shingles on; Garnet had actually suggested they _pay_ a 'professional' to do this. What a racket! If humans could do it, she could—

"Whoops!" The whip slipped from her grasp and the beam came tumbling down, sliding off of the pillar it was meant for and crashing through the kitchenette island. Amethyst grimaced and looked at Garnet, who put her hand on her head and shook it silently as she surveyed the damage. Somehow they had made it _worse_ than before.

The trio that had gone down to the beach some hours earlier entered through the doorway—sans door—and walked towards the other two Crystal Gems.

"It looks... ah..." Pearl trailed off, putting her finger to her lips and searching for the proper word. "It's a fixer-upper! Isn't that what they say on those home renovation shows?"

Steven was far less amused, a thousand-yard stare plastered across his face. "I'm going to have to sleep in my dad's van again, aren't I?"

Garnet gave another quick look at the blasted roof and groaned through pursed lips. "It could be fun to stay with your dad for awhile, Steven," she reasoned, kneeling down in front of him. "A chance to connect, father and son."

She may have been right, but Steven had concerns beyond family bonding. "Last night I asked where the bathroom was. You know what he told me?"

Garnet and Pearl exchanged glances, and Garnet shook her head from side to side.

"He said there's a bucket outside."

Garnet grimaced and bowed her head.

"A bucket, Garnet," Steven restated for effect.

"I know it's not ideal, Steven—but right now this isn't a home, it's a death trap." She turned her head back towards the warp pad and the temple doors past it. "Right now the dimensional rooms aren't even functional."

Sensing her moment, Lapis Lazuli stepped forward. "I—" she cleared her throat, having gone over in her head exactly how she would say this. "Steven could stay at the barn, until his home is fixed. It _is_ his barn, after all." She felt like she was a human asking a friend's mom if they could spend the night—not that far from the reality of the situation, really.

Garnet stood up and looked to Lapis who was wiggling her bare toes in anticipation, then to Steven who stared at her with desperate eyes that said 'the bucket, Garnet. The bucket.'

"Alright, that will be fine."

Lapis inhaled sharply with excitement and Steven exhaled slowly in relief, clutching the gem on his stomach with one hand. "I'll call my dad and have him drop off my stuff."

The two left for the barn, and Amethyst and Garnet returned to their labor, imbued with a newfound sense of caution that can only come from nearly being crushed by construction materials. Pearl, left to her own devices, removed the orange gem from the pearl on her forehead and held it up to the sun, watching it glint in the light.

"Now, what to do with you..."

* * *

"Of course it's ok! Great, even!" Steven eyed Peridot perplexedly as he stood in the barn doorway with Lapis, a sleeping bag tucked under his arm. "Stay as long as you like!" The small green Gem was a veritable ball of excitement, nearly dancing with unbridled energy. Was she that starved for friends? Maybe it was good that circumstances had forced Steven to live here for awhile, unhappy as those circumstances may be.

The truth, known only to Peridot, was that she was happy for quite a different reason. Not that she _disliked_ Steven, of course—he was a friend, and she didn't mind hosting a friend for a few nights in her humble abode while he got back on his feet. The true reason behind her joy was what this would do for Lazuli's mood. Steven was like a stress blanket for her; Peridot was more like a stress ball, but the blue Gem wouldn't dare mistreat poor Peridot with Steven here to see it. For now, she was free and clear.

Peridot wandered off elsewhere in the barn, humming happily. Lapis looked at Steven and he shrugged, simply happy that Peridot didn't mind his intrusion.

"So... what do you want to do?" Lapis asked him.

Laughter came from the barn loft, the light of a television visible as Peridot resumed watching whatever she'd been engrossed in before they arrived.

"Movie?" She suggested

Steven smiled. "Sure, movie." He dumped his belongings on the floor and the two of them walked upstairs to see Peridot clutching her small stomach and howling in laughter. It looked like she was already a third of the way through whatever slapstick-heavy romantic comedy she'd started, but that was alright; Steven was just happy to be safe and with friends—and _not_ sleeping in a van again. Peridot patted the sofa on either side of her and the two took their seats, Steven far too frazzled from the events of the past few days to focus on anything but his own thoughts.

The minutes ticked by, and the film took a sultry turn. A man and a woman lay in bed, preparing to consummate the romantic tension the movie had spent an hour and a half building. "Why do they always exchange bodily fluids in your movies?" Peridot grumbled, gesturing at the screen. She yawned for effect, incapable of requiring sleep but perfectly able to express her boredom with the movie's turn of events. "Aren't characters supposed to be relatable? How do I relate to... _this?"_ The woman straddled the man, leaning over him and planting a passionate kiss on the lips.

Peridot scoffed and stood up. "That's it, I'm done." She picked up the DVD case and looked at it distastefully. "Who could have known that the Italians would make a movie with this much flesh contact? I thought they were a cold, passionless people!" Her grousing continued as she left the loft, leaving Steven and Lapis to watch the movie alone. Peridot may have lost interest, but Steven was growing increasingly uncomfortable. As for Lapis, he couldn't tell _what_ she was thinking—and that made him feel even more uneasy. This was when you crack a joke, right? Situations like this aren't awkward if you disarm them with humor!

"So, do y—" His remark was cut short by Lapis laying across the couch, her head on his lap and her feet propped up on her armrest. "W-what are you doing?"

"The couch felt too empty; I thought I'd fill it up." She reasoned, turning her head back towards the television. If she were Amethyst, Pearl, or Garnet, this wouldn't have affected him at all—Peridot too, probably. So why did something as simple as Lapis' head touching his leg demand all of his attention?

The rest of the movie was a blur, and Steven headed downstairs afterwards to try and sleep off whatever he was feeling—he didn't think his heart could take another two hours of Lapis laying on his lap.

* * *

"Steven, are you asleep?" Lapis asked softly, laying face-up on a wooden rafter a dozen feet above Steven.

"No... my body is all worn out, but my brain won't stop working."

"Oh," was all she could muster in response. If that were the case, maybe lying there and talking was exactly what he needed? She'd never gotten used to the idea of sleep, and it still seemed strange to her.

"What's your brain saying?"

Steven thought for a moment, trying to pin down one or two thoughts in the hazy mess of images and events bouncing around in his mind. "How weird everything is. It's always been weird, but now it's like I don't even have time to think about what just happened before the next thing pops up. You meet people—Gems—and then they're gone. Someone shows up who wants to blow up your entire planet, and you barely even know why, but you have to fight them anyway—because that's what Crystal Gems do."

After some time, Lapis responded. "Are you worried about losing people you care about?"

"Yeah... I guess." Given all that they'd gone through, he'd have to be either stupid, selfish, or crazy to not worry.

"Well, you don't have to worry about me," Lapis reassured him. "I can protect myself."

"That's what worries me."

"That I can protect myself?"

"That you think you need to do it on your own," Steven replied, quickly.

Lapis slid her feet up and down the rafter, the soft scraping the only sound in the barn. "Are you still mad at me for fusing with Jasper?"

He didn't need to think, he already knew how he felt—it had been eating at him since they'd left the ship. "Yes," he replied, quietly. Steven felt wet droplets hit his face and expected to look up to see blue wings of water. Instead, he saw Lapis' slender blue arm rubbing at her face, still turned towards the ceiling.

"What do I have to do for you not to be mad at me?" He didn't know—he couldn't even say why he was so upset, not really. Because she'd fused with the one Gem who had truly mistreated her? Because she had claimed to have done it for his sake?

"Don't do it again," he answered.

"Ok," she sniffed, her voice cracking before she finished that one short word. They both remained silent, each feeling like they'd only said half of what they wanted to; but for now, that was enough.

"Humans don't fuse, right?" Lapis spun around onto her stomach and peered down at Steven.

"No, never. Except for me and Connie, anyway—and I'm half Gem."

"So what do they do instead of fusing?"

"Well... something sort of like in that movie, I suppose." He had to smile at the strangeness of him, a 14 year old, giving 'the talk' to a Gem thousands of years old.

" _That's_ your version of fusion?"

"Like I said, it's not exactly the same. The way my dad told it to me, when two people want to be together—"

"Aren't we together now?"

"Not like that! Remember in the movie, the guy and the lady were laying together—"

"Oh... can you show me?"

Steven swallowed. This was getting dangerous for a boy his age. "A-alright," he stammered. Lapis hopped down from the ceiling, barely making a noise l when she landed on the wooden floor. She unzipped the side of the sleeping bag and Steven scooted away, squeezing himself as tightly as he could into the far side of it. She slipped in and zipped it up, her bare shoulder pressing against Steven's own pajama-clad body.

"It's too tight."

"O-oh." Steven rolled onto his side, turning his back to Lapis. She did the same, twisting her body so that her chest pressed into Steven's back. His breath caught in his throat and his heart nearly stopped—he dared not move a muscle.

"Like this?"

"Yes," he responded robotically, eyes wide. "That's human fusion. You've got it."

"Can you sleep like this?" She wriggled in place, and Steven squeezed his eyes shut.

"Yes, I feel very sleepy now. I can definitely fall asleep." He relaxed his eyelids but kept them closed, willing his breath slower and his heartbeat steadier. He wasn't going to stop noticing Lapis' touch anytime soon, but falling asleep was a simple matter of physical exhaustion, right?

* * *

"I, ah... did you sleep well, Steven?" Peridot gave a confused glance at the sleeping Lapis, her confusion turning to concern when she saw Steven's bloodshot eyes, blueish purple bags hanging beneath them.

"I didn't sleep a single second," he marveled in disbelief.

Peridot scratched her chest through the baggy t-shirt she wore, "the truth is out there" emblazoned in green text below a simplistic depiction of an alien.

"That's good, right? You've transcended the need for sleep! Maybe it's your Gem powers awakening further." She took a sip from the coffee mug in her hand—a morning habit she'd picked up from television. Peridot didn't particularly enjoy the taste and the caffeine didn't affect her at all, but she liked how she looked when she walked around drinking it.

Steven blinked slowly. "No, I don't think that's it."

Next to him, Lazuli stirred and her eyes fluttered open. "Wow, I did it! I slept!" She sat up in the sleeping bag and jumped when she saw Peridot standing near them. "Oh, Peridot! We were just—"

Peridot held up her hand and clicked her tongue. "You do you, Lazuli—and I'll do my stuff! We both do our own things, and no one has to bully the other!" She looked at Steven, then leaned in close to the blue Gem. "And I didn't see a thing," she whispered, then began walking away.

"But we really weren't doing anyth—"

"Didn't see a thing!" Peridot shouted back, striding up the stairwell to the barn loft.

Lapis pulled herself out of the sleeping bag and Steven sat up in place, too groggy to do much more than stare blankly ahead. His phone rang and he picked it up, tempted to let it go to voicemail just this once, until he saw that it was Connie calling—she never called this early. He flipped it open and held it to his ear. "Hello?"

Frantic shouting followed, making Steven wince. "Connie, slow down! I can't understand you." Lapis looked on in concern, unable to make out the words being said on the other end. "So they said... you're sure? No, that doesn't sound good. But what if they meant... oh. Yeah, it does sort of sound like that."

He nodded along, listening patiently. "I can come now. Where do you want to meet?" More incoherent conversation followed and the call ended.

"...what was that about?" Lapis asked him.

"Connie thinks her parents are getting a divorce."


	12. Chapter 12

"Why don't you start at the beginning?"

Steven sat across the table from Connie and pushed a paper plate towards her, donuts piled atop it in a miniature pyramid.

"That's... alright. I didn't actually want donuts, I just didn't know where else to meet you—and we can't talk at my house." They couldn't talk at his house, either. Not without—what did Pearl call it—home owner's insurance.

Seated under the Big Belly Donut awning, Steven glanced out towards the boardwalk and saw that Lapis was pacing up and down the waterside, eyeing whatever subtleties of the ocean only she could detect. She'd carried Steven there when he asked, and had left him and Connie alone when he'd subtlety hinted at needing some privacy for his friend to air her worries—he felt a little guilty, like he was taking advantage of the Gem's good nature.

"Well," Connie cleared her throat. "It started yesterday, really. My parents had been talking about seeing a marriage counselor, and yesterday they finally did it. Now all of the sudden they're talking about 'seeing other people'."

Steven leaned back in his chair and fiddled with the armrests. "Wow, that's... I don't know what to say. It sounds like that counselor wasn't doing his job."

"I know, right!" She exclaimed. "Something fishy is going on there. One session, and they decide it's time to get a divorce?" Steven felt like he was being let in on some secret conspiracy that only he and Connie were privy to. He didn't quite follow, but he was glad to see her fired up instead of sad and listless.

"Hmm..." Steven rubbed his chin. "So you think this counselor is a suspicious character?" A glint shone in his eye, and Connie eyed him uneasily.

"I guess you could say that."

"And you want to investigate him?"

"Yeah, you could call it that."

"Then detective Steven is on the case!" He leapt up, sending the plastic chair clattering to the ground. "I've already got a plan. Well, half a plan. I'll pose as a patient—"

Connie shook her head. "I already thought of doing that. He doesn't take any clients younger than 16."

Steven smiled sheepishly. "My gem is way older than that."

"I don't think that counts, Steven," she sighed. Under normal circumstances that would have been good for at least a cheap laugh—she must really be feeling down.

Steven picked his chair back up and sat down, looking out to the sea to mull over their options. Lapis was still milling up and down the boardwalk, kicking a can in front of her as she went. Her eyes connected with Steven's and he looked away, still feeling awkward about the night before. Should be tell Connie about what had happened? He felt bad about it, and also felt like he should tell her, but was afraid she would react badly—which scared him, which made him not want to tell her, which made him feel even worse. Things used to be simple—living with three alien gemstones in a temple and fighting the occasional corrupted Gem. When did life get so complicated?

He'd feel better if he could at least get Connie and Lapis on friendly terms...

Steven leapt out of his chair, sending it to the ground a second time. "I've got it! I know how to solve both of our problems!"

" _Both_ of our problems?"

"I mean your problem—your problem, with your parents." He gestured at Lapis, who was watching the two. "Lapis looks older than me, and is definitely way older than 18. She could pose as a patient!"

Connie turned to look at the blue Gem, who was walking over towards the table after having heard her name mentioned. "I... guess that could work. Won't he suspect something's up if an alien comes in for counseling?"

"No, that's perfect! It'll, like, distract from the ruse."

Lapis had reached the table, and eyed them quizzically. "What are we doing?"

Steven looked at her grimly. "Lapis, I think you need counseling."

She dropped her eyebrows and pursed her lips. "What."

* * *

"Hello, how may I help you?" The bubbly receptionist asked Lapis, pushing her short blonde hair behind her ears.

"I'm, uh... depressed—and I don't like my partner anymore. I need couples counseling," she replied, dryly. The receptionist turned to the computer on her desk and tapped away at it briefly. Lapis turned around to see Steven and Connie peering in the office window, Steven giving her a toothy grin and a thumbs-up. He probably wouldn't have if he had heard the quality of her performance.

"Hmm." The receptionist spun in her chair to face Lapis. "Since you're a first time patient, you'll need to fill out some forms before your initial evaluation."

"And then I can see the doctor?"

"Well... Dr. Huffman is very busy. I'm sure we can schedule you in in a few weeks."

Lapis turned back to the window. Connie was tapping her watch, an intense look of urgency in her eyes. Apparently a few weeks wouldn't work—and apparently they could hear through the window after all.

"No!" She exclaimed, shaking her head. "Thats too far from now—I'm having problems with my girlfriend now."

"Girlfriend?" The receptionist asked, raising an eyebrow.

She had said it without thinking. Oh well, it wasn't like it mattered. "Yes, girlfriend. Got a problem with that?"

The woman smiled and waved her hands. "Oh no, not at all! It's 2017, after all." She leaned over the computer and squinted. "I suppose we could fit you in today... just for a short initial visit."

"That'd be great." Not really—but she had already committed to this.

"Alright, I'll just need you to... _hngh_ —" she grunted, hefting a stack of papers onto the desk and pushing them in front of Lapis. "Fill out these first."

Lapis gripped the corner of the stack and flipped through the pages, grimacing. "...What are these for?"

"Oh, you know." The receptionist looked upwards and played with the pen in her hands. "Your hopes, fears, dreams, likes, dislikes, wants, don't-wants—all very standard information necessary for grounding a psychoanalytic cohabitation matrix." She handed Lapis the pen, who took it and slid the forms into her arms.

"Right. Of course." Steven was going to make it up to her for this—big time.

* * *

Did people have human years, like dogs had dog years? If they did, this guy would have been older than Lapis. The ancient man sat across from her, clad in a brown three-piece suit. Across his face ran a scar as faded as he was, and a small pair of glasses sat perched halfway down his nose. He smiled warmly, a smile that put Lapis at ease immediately—but if what Steven and his friend said were true, that was just part of his ploy.

"I never in all my years would have dreamed that I'd be counseling an alien," he chuckled, bones seeming to rattle with his laugh. "Please, tell me about your problems, Ms. Lazuli."

"Isn't that what those papers were for?" She pointed at the stack on a small table beside the doctor. Never again would she do that awful activity called 'paperwork'.

"Ah, yes. I studied those carefully—but I want to hear you describe your problems with your partner in just a few sentences. This..." He looked at the clipboard in his hands. "Jasper."

'Steven' seemed like the obvious choice, but she couldn't use him—not after she had said that she was having 'girlfriend' problems.

Dr. Huffman laughed softly. "Jasper—isn't that an old man's name? My father's father was named Jasper!"

Lapis frowned. "Well, she... she's in jail. That's why she couldn't be here today."

"I see. But that is not the root of the unhappiness in your relationship, is it?"

"Her being in jail isn't reason enough to hate her?"

The doctor shrugged. "People can go to jail for all sorts of reasons; a momentary lapse in judgement, or they may be completely innocent to begin with. Why was she sent to jail?"

Lapis looked up at the ceiling fan turning slowly—almost hypnotically. "She attacked one of my friends."

"That is serious, indeed. Were they hurt?"

"No, but he could have been."

"Are you mad at her for this?"

"Obviously," she sneered, before her face softened. "But I'm mad at myself too."

"Oh?" The doctor asked, letting the Gem follow her thoughts on her own.

"I'm mad at myself for getting together with her again, even though I knew it would hurt my friend."

"Why did you return to Jasper?"

"I thought it would help Stev—my friend." She tilted her head on the sofa towards the doctor, who looked at her curiously. "It's complicated," she continued. "But I really thought I was doing it for a good reason."

"It sounds like this friend matters more to you than Jasper does."

"Of course he does," she snapped, sitting up on the couch.

"Did you ask him what he thought of you resuming your relationship with Jasper?"

"No," she mumbled, and laid back down. "There wasn't time."

"But you already knew how he would react, yes?"

"I guess... I don't know. I didn't even think about it back then."

"Would you have hurt your friend in such a way if you had stopped to think about how he would react?"

She shook her head. "No, no way!"

"You do not need my guidance, Ms. Lazuli." The doctor inhaled deeply and set his clipboard on the table beside him, then steepled his fingers. "Nor do you need that of others. You already know what is the right thing to do. You only need to think over your actions before you go through with them, and consider how they will affect those you care about."

Lapis nodded along, following his words as she mulled over the events of the past few days. Was that it? Just do what she wanted, but be more thoughtful? It was simple advice when you boiled it down like that, but she supposed that any advice you could actually use was simple.

The doctor looked at his watch and his eyes flashed. "I hate to push you out the door like this, Ms. Lazuli, but I have another appointment soon." She stood up and walked towards the door.

"And as for your partner, there may be reasons behind her instability. Soldiers often suffer from post-traumatic..."

 _Soldier._ had she told him that? Or put it in those forms? She'd completely forgotten why she'd come there! She whirled around and stood over him, threateningly.

"I never told you that Jasper was a soldier."

Dr. Huffman looked up at her with fear in his eyes. They had made such a breakthrough! What had he said wrong?

"I'm sure I saw it written somewhere in here—" he reached a shaky hand towards the papers, but water shot out of the gem on Lapis' back and flipped over the table, sending papers flying everywhere with a crash.

"I didn't write that anywhere!" She squinted and examined the scar on his face. "You're no doctor. You're not even human!"

The double doors to the office swung open and Steven and Connie rushed in. "We heard something, what happened?"

Lapis looked at the two and then turned back to the doctor in his chair and circled around to the back of it, triumphantly. "This 'doctor' is a fraud!" She gripped the chair and tilted it forward, sending the geriatric therapist sprawling onto the carpet.

The two children stared in horror. "Why did you do that?" Connie gasped, holding the sides of her head.

"Remember that shapeshifting Gem, Steven? We never found her! Look at his face!" She pointed out the distinctive scar, then tapped her foot impatiently when she saw that he was making no attempt to stand. "Give it up, 'Dr. Huffman'. You aren't fooling anyone."

The old man groaned. "I got that scar in the war... I don't know why you're doing this." Steven and Connie looked at each other worriedly, and moved to help him. The receptionist, who had walked into the doorway, peered past them and saw her employer laying face-down on the ground. Uproarious laughter poured forth from her, startling everyone else in the room.

"Hahaha!" She laughed, doubled over and clutching her stomach. "I'm sorry, it's just—" she wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye. "He can't walk, and you threw him on the ground!" Her words turned incoherent, giving way to more shrieking laughter; she almost looked like she was having a seizure.

No—it _really_ looked like she was having a seizure. Her skin rippled and changed colors in places. Beneath the hand the woman held to her face to stop her tears, Lapis spotted a deep scar beginning to trace its way across her nose. The blue Gem gasped and sent a stream of water at the woman, landing square in her chest and slamming her into a wall in the office lobby some dozen feet away. Lapis held her there and approached her warily, Steven and Connie following shortly after, wondering if Lapis had simply decided to declare war on all of humanity.

When they got closer to the receptionist, they saw that the woman had completely abandoned her former appearance. She wore the skintight outfit of a Gem, and the blonde hair she'd once had in a bob was now more gold than blonde, and swept back behind her head. Her skin was distinctly inhuman, varying tones of green running along the surface.

"Serpentine." Steven said.

"Is she... a Gem?" Connie asked. She'd never seen her before, but she knew that there was a planet full of them out there, somewhere—a neat, but scary thought.

Steven narrowed his eyes and nodded. "She was onboard the ship that nearly destroyed Earth. She pretended to be Lapis and kidnapped me."

"You're still holding that against me?" Serpentine leaned towards Steven before being pushed back to the wall by Lapis.

"What are you doing here?" Lapis hissed.

"Analyzing humans interpersonal problems, manipulating them, enjoying the fireworks—"

"What are you doing on _Earth_ ," Steven interjected.

"Are you kidding? I love this place!" Her eyes were ablaze with enthusiasm. "Humans are all so irrational and flighty; not like Gems." She looked Lapis up and down. "Well, most of us."

"So you're not still trying to destroy Earth?" Connie inquired.

"Nope, scout's honor." She tilted her head up and closed her eyes—all she was missing was the salute.

"Why should we believe that?" Steven wasn't buying it.

"Well," she smiled and peered down at the boy. "I don't really care if you do."

Steven bristled, and Serpentine continued. "Buuut... I'm in contact with Homeworld still. They believe that the Crystal Gems are all shattered, and that they have all the time in the world for the geoweapon sitting at the center of your planet to emerge naturally. If I were to tell them differently, or if they failed to receive one of my periodic reports—" if she were bubbled, Steven thought to himself. —then they'd be forced to respond."

Steven stared at her angrily for a few moments, then sighed. "Let her go."

"What?" Lapis wondered.

"We don't have any choice." Lapis slowly withdrew the water restraining the Homeworld Gem. Serpentine stepped forward and stared down in distaste at her soaked torso, then to the cracked wall behind her.

"Great. Now I need a new job." With a wave she left the office, giving one last wink to the three of them as she passed the window outside. They stood in silence until a weak voice came from the therapist's room.

"Can someone help me, please?"

* * *

"Long-time pain pill addict? Raised in a hippy commune? I didn't write down anything like this!" Lapis stood on the sidewalk outside the therapist's office. In her hands she held some of the papers gathered from the ones she had scattered all over the room—they were heavily edited, no doubt by the only other person to have access to them besides her and the doctor.

Connie slammed her fist down onto her palm. "No wonder those people got crappy advice!"

"Yeah! I bet he told you some pretty crazy things too, Lapis," Steven mused.

She looked away and held her arm. "It wasn't... _that_ crazy."

"Connie?" The three looked down the sidewalk to see Connie's parents walking towards them. "What are you doing here? Oh, and the Universe boy, too." The two adults looked over Lapis, clearly less than thrilled about another Alien having become a part of their daughter's social circle. What sort of crowds was she hanging out in?

"Mom! Dad! I'm, uh..." Connie began to sweat. "Just walking around town! What are you two doing?"

The two looked at each other, her mother nodding before her father turned back to look at Connie. "Well, Connie, we were seeing a... a marriage counselor. Not for anything major! We just had some things that we needed to talk out."

"Turns out he's horrible, though." Her mother added.

Her father nodded in agreement. "Oh yeah, absolutely. The worst." He leaned forward and looked in through the glass office doors and saw the wall, nearly caved in from Lapis' attack on the other Gem. "Wow! Looks like someone else agrees. Maybe now isn't the best time."

"Don't you have an appointment?" Connie asked.

"An appointment? Oh, no. We just came by so I could give him a piece of my mind." Her dad replied.

"So you aren't getting a divorce?" Connie's timid voice trembled.

Her parents both put their hands on her comfortingly. "No, never! Why would you think that, sweetheart?"

"You said you wanted to see other people!"

Her parents looked at each other before bursting out into laughter. "Other _marriage counselors._ "

Steven and Connie stood there, mouths agape—Lapis simply rolled her eyes.

"We ended up not doing that, though." Her father hugged her mother tight to his waist. "Turns out having a common enemy is a great way to put some energy back in a relationship!"

Her mother swooned. "Your father is so manly when he's all fired up." The two leaned in to kiss, and Connie spun around and began walking away.

"Steven, were leaving!" She fumed, her sandals flapping against the pavement with each stomp of her feet.


	13. Chapter 13

Jasper tip-toed through cool water, approaching the edge of the circular disc she'd reformed on. Water flowed off of it endlessly, as with the other, similar hovering constructs in the room. On on one such nearby platform stood the renegade Pearl, examining an array of gleaming metal weaponry that hung around her in midair. Jasper had made short work of her in their first fight—she would do so again.

She crouched down and leapt from her platform, grabbing the edge of the next one with her fingers and pulling herself up with an ease that would make a rock climber blush. The trickle of water striking the stone floor below masked her sounds as she walked towards the Pearl, hands held aloft in preparation to seize her and turn this into a battle of brute strength, a match Jasper would easily win. Once the Pearl was subdued, Jasper would find out why she was here and what had happened to to her—and Lapis Lazuli.

With mere feet between her and the other Gem, she still hadn't detected Jasper's approach, too engrossed in her trinkets to pay any attention to her surroundings—sloppy.

Pearl picked up a rapier in front of her and rotated it slowly. Light reflected off of the blade as she turned it, blinding Jasper momentarily and making the Gem stop to get her bearings. When Jasper's sight returned, she was staring down the length of the sword, the razor-sharp tip held inches from her face.

"Sloppy," Pearl remarked, now standing with one foot in front of the other in perfect fencing stance.

Jasper dropped her hands to her side and stood up straight, moving her face away from the blade. "Why am I here?" She demanded.

"We found you on the beach." Pearl pointed the rapier towards the ceiling; it cut through the air with a soft _swish._

Jasper touched the uncracked gem on her nose. "And this... how was my gem healed?"

"Steven did that," she stated matter-of-factly. "You can thank him, later."

Jasper snorted. "Is that the plan? You heal me and I join your little group because I'm oh-so grateful?"

"There is no plan," Pearl scoffed. "You can believe what you like, but you betrayed Homeworld. Like it or not, we're on the same side."

"Same side, huh?" Jasper chuckled. "Is that why I'm locked in here?" It wasn't exactly like the place she'd been confined to before, but there was no mistaking the bizarre otherworldliness of her surroundings.

"You're not locked in here." Pearl gestured towards the doorway to the temple. "You can leave anytime you want."

Jasper walked over to the edge of the hovering disc, casting a cautious eye back at Pearl before hopping onto the stone floor and striding towards the doorway.

* * *

The dim ghostly light of Pearl's room was replaced by vibrant yellow sunlight that filtered through the half-constructed roof above Jasper. Half a dozen humans walked to and fro, carrying lumber and taking measurements. One tank top-clad construction worker did a double take and stopped in front of Jasper, looking her from head to toe.

"How much you bench?" He asked in that rapid-fire accent characteristic of Empire City's less wealthy suburbs.

Jasper pointed the direction the man had been walking before he had stopped. "Go away, human," she growled.

The doors behind her opened a second time, and Pearl entered the temple's main room. "As you can see, you did quite a number on our home."

Jasper looked over the wood-walled dwelling. Some parts were hardly damaged at all, beyond some scraped paint; other areas were gutted, and appeared to have had building started that same day. Big deal, she thought—a single Bismuth could have this finished in a few hours. Was she supposed to feel guilty over wrecking their shack?

"Not that we're not... _grateful_ for your help in defeating that Homeworld Gem," Pearl added.

Jasper moved towards the couch in the living room. "I didn't help; I defeated her on my own—and I didn't do it for you _Crystal Gems_."

"Oh? That's not how Steven tells it."

Jasper sat down on the red sofa and crossed her legs. "That tiny human?" She scoffed. "He was a distraction, at most. I might have considered him a threat when I thought he was Rose Quartz, but now I know better."

Pearl put her hands on her hips. "That _distraction_ saved your skin!" Pear's outburst caught Jasper by surprise—especially the fact that it had come from a _Pearl_. "Not only that, but he fixed the crack in your gem."

Jasper rubbed the gem on her face. It had been cracked for so long—it felt strange not to have it damaged. She couldn't imagine why the human would heal her, but she had no cause to doubt the Pearl's story. "I suppose—" She grunted and spread her arms out on the back of the couch. "—I should thank him." Pearl's dark expression brightened. "Not because I needed his help," Jasper added hastily. "Because he is a tiny, inept creature, and I'm sure his efforts taxed him greatly."

Pearl smirked at the circuitous way Jasper had arrived at the admission: "Yes, I needed help." She could only imagine what her actual thank you would sound like; and she _would_ say it—Pearl would be sure of that.

"Now... where is this human?"

" _Steven_ —his name is _Steven_ ," Pearl stressed. "And while we fix what you and that other Gem did to our home, he's staying with Peridot and Lapis Lazuli."

"Lazuli?" Jasper swallowed.

The front door's screen creaked open, and Garnet and Amethyst entered. Between them they carried a chrome refrigerator.

"Pearl! Look like we go—" Amethyst exclaimed, her voice wavering and trailing off when she caught sight of the large orange Gem taking up half of their couch.

Not missing a beat, Garnet finished Amethyst's thought for her. "The townspeople came together and bought us a replacement. You know—for saving the world."

Pearl nodded sagely. "That seems fair."

They set the appliance down near the doorway, and Amethyst frantically waved Pearl and Garnet in for a huddle. "What's she doing here?" She hissed, stealing a covert glance at Jasper.

"You _knew_ she was here, Amethyst," Pearl replied.

"I know, but she's just... sitting on a couch!" Jasper bounced her crossed leg idly, her eyes momentarily meeting Amethyst's. "Who does that?" Amethyst wondered aloud.

"Yes, Amethyst, it's a strange situation," Garnet admitted. "But we have an opportunity here to make a new ally—a strong one."

"You say that, but look at her!" All three turned their heads towards Jasper, who was growing tired of the huddle of whispers that was so obviously focused on her. "She could go berserk at any moment!" Jasper sneered and looked away.

"Ok, maybe not _this_ moment," Amethyst corrected herself. "But she's a warrior, right? All she knows is fighting! What happens when she gets tired of _not_ fighting and goes after the only people around who can give her a challenge?"

Garnet adjusted her shades, briefly exposing the purple eye in the center of her forehead. "Amethyst may be exaggerating, but she has a point." Amethyst nodded smugly—Garnet knew who had the sense here. "Jasper is cut off from her home; not just physically, but emotionally as well." It had been a few thousand years, but Pearl and Garnet both knew that feeling well. "It might be good for someone to keep her occupied and... make nice."

Amethyst sputtered. "You can't just 'make nice' with _that_."

Pearl wondered at how feasible something like that was. Lapis Lazuli and Peridot had adapted to life on earth well enough, but they had _wanted_ to. Jasper was nursing grudges in a dozen different directions, and Pearl didn't know what her motives or desires were. Could you help someone who didn't want to be helped?

"Still, Amethyst, I'd like us to try." Garnet turned to Pearl. "You managed to talk to her without her tearing your head off—that's a start. Do you think you can find some way to keep Jasper occupied while we finish up here?"

Pearl rubbed her chin. "I _am_ always coming up with training exercises for Steven."

Amethyst laughed. "Yeah, I don't think those are going to cut it this time."

"I trust your judgment, Pearl." Garnet stood up and the Gems broke their huddle. Amethyst and Garnet went to the mostly-repaired kitchen and examined the pock-marked fridge that stood as the sole remaining evidence of the attack on their home. Garnet moved to pick it up, but Amethyst stopped her and cracked her knuckles.

"Uh-uh, I got this." She swaggered forward and put her hands under the bottom, grunting and straining to little effect. She thought she saw it shake, but that might have been her legs. The seconds ticked by and the appliance hadn't budged an inch.

"Amethyst, why don't you let—"

"No! It's almost there, I can tell!" Amethyst shot back at Garnet, grunting with renewed energy. Jasper, who had been sitting back and watching the pathetic display play out, shot up off of the couch.

"Oh for the love of..." She shouted, striding over to Amethyst. She stood over her and picked up the fridge with both hands, lifted it over her head while turning to the side, and with a roar hurled it through one of the few remaining gaps in the temple's front facade. It landed somewhere past the balcony with a jarring _Bang!_

Amethyst simply stood there for a few moments until she managed to pick her jaw up off of the floor. "There was still food in there!" She shouted, throwing open the front door and sprinting down the porch stairs. Garnet gave Pearl a concerned look—Amethyst's concerns may not have been as overblown as they'd first thought.

"Jasper!" Pearl exclaimed, trying to put an upbeat note in her otherwise alarmed voice. "How about, you, ah... help me with a mission?"

"A _mission?"_ Jasper raised an eyebrow, and Pearl sensed doubt in her tone.

"That's right! We need to capture a corrupted Gemstone, but Garnet and Amethyst are busy getting the temple back in a livable condition." The second part was perfectly accurate. As for the first part, it didn't have to be true—even a lie could keep her busy. "I'm not sure I can do it myself, but if you're too scared..."

Jasper scoffed. "Is this how you trick that 'Steven' of yours into doing things?"

Pearl bit her lip; she probably shouldn't have tried to manipulate a millennia-old soldier with the same methods she used to get Steven to wash the dishes.

Jasper sighed and pushed herself off of the couch. "I'll find this corrupted Gem for you, if only to get away from this _RACKET!"_ The workmen stopped their hammering and sawing briefly, trading worried glances before resuming their work at a slightly quieter level.

Pearl put one hand on the small of Jasper's back and guided the reluctant Gem towards the warp pad. "Terrific! I'm glad to hear it." The two of them stood on the warp pad and Pearl gave a thumbs-up to Garnet, her hand trembling. "We'll be back in no time!" She said through a strained smile—she wasn't sure if that would be a good or a bad thing.

* * *

"Garnet called—she says that the temple will be ready by tonight!" Steven snapped his phone shut.

Lapis looked at the ground, dejected. "Oh. That's... good." She mumbled.

Peridot immediately picked up on the blue Gem's worsening mood and ran to Steven from the other end of the barn. "No! You can't leave yet!" Peridot begged, throwing herself at his feet. Did she really care that much? Steven had hardly even seen her in the few days he'd stayed at the barn.

"Sorry." He grinned sheepishly. "It's been fun, but I miss my bed—and my air conditioner."

Lapis snapped her head up. "I could freeze your sleeping bag! It'd be even colder than your house!"

"That could be a problem," he chuckled. "Thanks for offering, though." He also needed to discuss with the Gems the small matter of the large orange Gem that had recently reformed. He didn't want to tell Lapis that she had woken up—he didn't even know if he _should._

Steven crouched down to roll up his sleeping bag. "Thanks for helping Connie out, Lapis. She really appreciated it."

Lapis held her arm with her other hand, her shoulders rolled forward. "I didn't do it to help your girlfriend."

"Then why did you— " His face twisted up in confusion. " _Girlfriend?_ "

"She's your girlfriend, right?"

"No... yes! I mean—" He hung his arms in front of him in resignation. "I don't know."

"How can you not know?" Peridot wondered.

Steven shrugged. How were you _supposed_ to know?

"Its very simple, Steven. In my time on your planet I have consumed thousands of hours of Earth media—" Her voice lowered and she turned her head to the side. "—including my ill-advised _arthouse film_ phase—" She muttered, then cleared her throat. "—And through that research I have come to one simple conclusion."

Steven and Lapis waited, their full attention focused on the diminutive green Gem who stood with her hands clasped behind her back.

Peridot took a deep breath in and held one index finger towards the ceiling. "If you've kissed, you're dating."

"Oooh," Steven marveled, as if Peridot had just divulged some hidden key to romantic relationships.

"Well? Have you engaged in mouth copulation?" Peridot asked.

He tapped his chin and then shook his head. "No..."

Lapis straightened her back and folded her arms, her stature growing to match her mood. "Well I have," she announced proudly.

"What?" Came the dual response. Lapis simply nodded confidently.

"With who?" Steven asked.

"Why? Jealous?" Lapis teased him.

Steven blushed. "N-no... but who..." He looked at Peridot. "Don't tell me—"

"It wasn't with Peridot!" She exclaimed in exasperation, and turned around to walk away.

"Well who with?" Steven shouted, and ran after her. "Come on, tell me!"

Lapis simply smiled, humming quietly as she gathered Steven's belongings for his imminent return home.


	14. Chapter 14

Pearl had always liked the desert. Quiet, warm, flat, orderly—and clean. That wasn't why she had brought Jasper here, though. Halfway across the world in these endless wastes, there would be nothing for her to destroy and no one for her to fight—the perfect opportunity for Pearl to break the ice with the taciturn Gem she had found herself with.

That had been the plan, anyway. The reality was that the desert, with its occasional howl of dry wind, was proving to be a better conversation partner than the mute Quartz marching across the trackless wastes beside Pearl. The tense silence was beginning to become unbearable to Pearl, although she suspected that she was the only one who was bothered by it.

"Fine! If you don't want to talk about your past, we can at _least_ discuss what you're going to do while you're on Earth."

Jasper grunted. That was one of many things she didn't want to dedicate any thought to—the only reason she'd agreed to go along with this neurotic Pearl was so that Jasper could occupy her mind with a task, no matter how trivial the goal. It felt like any attempt to sort out her circumstances would only serve to solidify the reality of her being stuck on this backwater planet. No mission, no home, _certainly_ no Homeworld, and most likely no Lapis Lazuli, either. Jasper recalled the visceral repulsion she'd felt—actually _felt,_ in her bones—when Lazuli had torn apart their fusion aboard Magnetite's ship. A few tears and simpering words from that human boy, and he had pulled Lazuli away from her.

That being the case, how suitable a partner could Jasper have been if she had lost the ocean Gem so easily? This 'Steven' was not Rose Quartz, and she refused to believe that a young human such as him was capable of manipulating a Gem. Regardless of the puzzling dynamic at play between those two, Jasper's own situation remained the same. She was a fugitive, rent of any status among her people, cut off entirely from her world—yet Lazuli's rejection of her on such a fundamental level had hit Jasper hardest of all the blows she'd received aboard the Homeworld ship.

"What do you like to do?" Pearl refused to be dissuaded by her silent brooding.

"I'm a Quartz—I fight."

The two reached the base of another dune and began working their way up the hill. Pearl faltered a few times in the shifting sand, but the larger Gem soldiered steadily onward even as her feet sunk in up to her ankles. If there was one thing Pearl was thankful for in that moment, it was that Jasper had yet to complain about their as-of-yet fruitless search for the corrupted Gem they were supposedly hunting. That was the good—and the bad—thing about soldiers. They didn't question orders.

"That's what you _did._ I asked what you _like_ to do. Youre not on Homeworld anymore, you know." Pearl put one hand to her own chest. "I used to think that I was only meant to serve, until I was shown a better way—that I could choose what I wanted to become."

"Which is?" Jasper asked.

"A champion of freedom! A tireless rebel who strikes fear in the heart of oppressors and protects the downtrodden." Pearl formed a fist with her hand and held it high. Even without the armor she had once worn, she evoked the image of Joan of Arc—or perhaps Lady Liberty, were Pearl's skirt quite a bit longer.

"Someone who fights." Jasper stated flatly.

Pearl's shoulders sunk when she heard her romantic call to arms boiled down to such simplistic terms. "My point is, you don't have to be a warrior anymore. That was what Homeworld made you, but you're no longer chained to them. You can remake yourself."

"Into what?" Pearl thought she could detect a hint of genuine interest in Jasper's gruff voice, but perhaps that was simply her own wishful thinking. She looked over Jasper's large frame and bulging muscles. It was hard to picture her doing anything other than tearing enemies apart limb from limb. "Whatever you want! You have all the time in the world, now." Which was fortunate—Pearl knew that getting her to open up would be no small feat. The walls Jasper had erected around her heart hadn't been built in a day, and they certainly wouldn't be torn down in a day, either.

Pearl's words echoed in Jasper's mind.

 _'All the time in the world.'_

With nothing left to fight for, that failed to be a comforting thought. An abundance of time wasn't a blessing by itself; it was the things that time was _filled_ with that gave it meaning.

Jasper scanned the desert horizon—gentle, rolling hills, and endless sand. Nothing to stop her, but nowhere for that freedom to take her.

"How about hobbies—do you have any hobbies?"

...nothing, save a relentless Pearl that would hound her into oblivion. Jasper sighed as they crested the hill they had been ascending.

Scrambling on all fours by that point, Pearl reached the peak shortly after Jasper and looked up at her. "What is it?"

Jasper had intended to ignore her and keep moving, but as she started down the dune she spotted a tent in the distance, the cloth structure nearly camouflaged by sand that caked the once-white fabric. Four bizarre-looking animals stood by the tent, carrying manmade materials—they must have been native creatures domesticated by humans.

"There's something over there."

Pearl followed where her hand was pointing, squinting until she was just barely able to make out a large tent and a line of camels. People? Out _here?_ "Huh... you're right. Oh, well. We'll go around them."

She began to walk around Jasper, and a large orange palm cupped her shoulder. "Youre not going to ask the humans if they've seen this corrupted Gem of yours?"

Pearl blinked a few times, thinking quickly. "Oh, what do humans know, anyway." She flapped her hand dismissively and lifted Jasper's hand off of her, then continued walking away from the direction of the camp.

"Now then, about where you'll be living..." Pearl turned to her right, then to her left, and saw nothing but sand. She spun around and spotted Jasper striding towards the camp, already having put significant distance between the two of them.

"Jasper! Stop right this instant!" Her orders went unheeded, and Jasper entered the tent while Pearl struggled to run after her in the soft sand. As the encampent grew closer, she saw that the dromedaries lined up outside were laden not just with baggage, but with _guns._ Ancient-looking rifles hung to the sides of the animals by leather straps, ammunition for the firearms almost surely stored somewhere in the bags next to them. Who would need weapons out here? Poachers? Soldiers? Neither would have cause to be this far out in the desert—then again, _no one_ did. As she reached the camp, cries of outrage came from the tent. The flap was flung open and two figures covered head-to-toe in black robes ran outside. It was only from the pitch of their frantic shouts that Pearl could tell that they were women.

Jasper emerged from the tent and approached one of the woman, reaching out with her fingers to try lifting the opaque veil covering the robed figure's face. The woman slapped her hand away and the Gem recoiled in surprise. A swarthy, bearded man in a white robe burst forth from the tent shortly after Jasper, wielding a curved sword and shouting all manner of obscenities at the intruder—Pearl wasn't fluent enough in his tongue to know more than half of them, and she certainly wouldn't be repeating any of them.

Jasper caught sight of the sword before he could strike and grabbed the man's wrist, twisting it until he dropped the blade to the ground.

"Wait!" Pearl yelled. "Let him go!"

"He'll try to attack me again," Jasper argued. Granting mercy to an opponent at the very moment she'd gained the upper hand was not in her nature.

The man's eyes were wide and his legs shook—Pearl couldn't read minds, but she was fairly certain that he wasn't going to try striking the menacing quartz soldier again. "You wanted to get information, right?" Pearl explained calmly. "We do that by letting the human go, and then talking to them."

Jasper stared him down with eyes that had narrowed to slits, then finally, released him. He stepped back and massaged his wrist before cautiously picking up his sword and sliding it into the sheath hanging at his waist. Free of Jasper's grasp—momentarily, at least—his fear turned to anger and he resumed shouting at Jasper, his hand occasionally gesturing at the two women now hiding behind the line of camels. Pearl met his shouts with calming gestures as she spoke haltingly in a guttural slurring that was totally unintelligible to Jasper. The man seemed to calm down, his unbridled rage reduced to a simmering annoyance.

"What's he saying?" Jasper snapped at Pearl.

"He's upset with you for trying to disrobe his wife...and his other wife." She turned to Jasper and put her hands on her hips. " _Why_ would you do that?" The man wagged a finger at Jasper as he chided her—the clamor of their shared scolding was beginning to give Jasper a headache.

"They're covered from head to toe. It's suspicious."

The man was still talking, but his lecturing seemed to be directed at Pearl this time. He said a few words to her, then turned to Jasper and continued speaking.

"What's this human saying to me?" She demanded.

"He says—" she sighed. "—that it's unbecoming of him to converse with a woman. He'll only speak to my husband."

 _Husband?_ Jasper raised an eyebrow, taking a moment to grasp Pearl's meaning. She wasn't yet well-versed in human culture, but she was _sure_ that didn't sound right. She'd have to ask the Pearl about it—later.

"Ask him if he's seen the corrupted Gem."

Pearl spoke a few short phrases to the man, using gestures and body language to fill in the gaps in meaning created by her very rusty linguistic skills. The man shrugged, and Pearl shook her head at Jasper. "Nope, hasn't seen anything." She sounded almost relieved, to Jasper's annoyance. Pearl had taken her eyes off the man, but Jasper was still watching him. He scratched at his neck, and his eyes shifted from side to side rapidly, as if he were cornered. She couldn't understand his words, but the body spoke a language all its own.

Jasper crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at the man. "Ask him what he's doing out here." Again Pearl turned to the man, serving as translator for him and her 'husband'. A complex exchange followed, Pearl pointing at the gun-laden camels, followed by an insincere-looking explanation from the man. Jasper stomped towards him and loomed over the much smaller human, their difference in size clearer the closer she got to him.

"Ask him what he's _really_ doing here."

He swallowed and went silent. Jasper could see the wheels turning in his head, the man's eyes darting about as he prepared another lie. She frowned and raised a hand, as if to grab the man by his collar; he began stammering, words spilling from his mouth at a pace that had Pearl struggling to keep up with the flow. Much of what was said was completely unintelligible to Jasper, and _none_ of it was understandable, but she managed to pick up on one final phrase. The man held his hands aloft, eyes ablaze. "Al-Qaysumah," he intoned.

"What'd he say?" Pearl looked more confused than Jasper despite the latter not understanding a single thing the man had said.

Pearl tilted her head to one side and furrowed her brow. "He said he's looking for... the _'Diamond of the Desert'_."

* * *

"We wanted to wait for Pearl to get back before we did this, but... I'm too excited." If Garnet was excited, she certainly didn't show it. Steven could only recall a handful of times when her unflappable demeanor had faltered; when he'd unexpectedly fused with Connie, when Garnet and Steven had come upon the forced Gem fusions in the kindergarten, and when Pearl had tricked her into fusing with her repeatedly as Sardonyx—all having to do with fusion, now that he thought about it.

Steven, Garnet, and Amethyst stood in front of the temple. A huge tarp was draped over their home; it looked like the massive statue above them were holding it as a gift between her hands, waiting to unwrap it. Amethyst held a cord that attached to one corner of the tarp, _her_ excitement very obvious. She hopped from one foot to the other, waiting for Garnet to give the word.

"Steven, would you do the honors?" Garnet said to him.

He nodded and set down the belongings he had brought back with him from the barn. Raising one hand high, he brought it down and yelled out.

"Go!"

Amethyst took off down the slope away from the temple, cackling gleefully as she ran. The tarp slid off of the roof, revealing the refurbished house beneath; it was like nothing had ever happened to it. No—it was even _better._ Besides the damage Magnetite and Malachite had done, years of normal wear and tear were gone, faded paint and warped paneling replaced by vibrant colors and precision construction—he swore that he saw the corner of the home glint in the sunlight, if only for a moment. A single tear rolled down his cheek, and he wiped it away.

"It's... beautiful."

Garnet picked up his bag with one hand and put the other on his back, walking him towards the house. Behind him, Amethyst was busy being carried up and down the beach by the wind and the parachute-like tarp as she tried to rein it in. He wasn't looking forward to seeing Jasper again, but he would cross that bridge when he came to it. For now, it was just good to be home.


	15. Chapter 15

"Do you like the arcade?" Lapis asked Steven, hands clasped in front of her while her thumbs twiddle back and forth nervously. "Because... I've seen you there."

"I mean, I've watched you play games there... not that I _watch_ you!" Lapis merely received a polite smile in response.

"What I'm trying to say is—" she paused and examined the vacant visage staring her in the face. "—what _am_ I trying to say?" She waved her hand and 'Steven' fell to the ground, a thousand tiny droplets of water splattering to the barn floor. The pitter-patter of liquid on wood ceased, and Lapis raised her hand upwards, conjuring another faithful mimic of the young human. He wasn't real, of course, but somehow it soothed her embarrassment to start with a new one when she felt that her attempted approach had failed.

"Hey, Steven. Fancy meeting you he—"

 _Ugh._

She dropped her shoulders and let her head hang low. Why was something so simple, so difficult?

The disapproving clicking of a tongue had Lapis spinning around to face the diminutive green Gem leaned against a barn pillar, letting the liquid doppelganger behind her fall to the floor once again. Peridot stood there tutting as Lapis surreptitiously slipped the watery evidence of her practice between the cracks of the floorboards.

"How long have you been standing there?" Her tone wavered between demand and careful probing.

Peridot narrowed her eyes. "Long enough."

Lapis stood up straight and put her hands on her hips. "And?"

Peridot laughed. "Lazuli, Lazuli..." she walked towards her, shaking her head.

"What?" Lapis asked uneasily.

"Poor, naive Lazuli." Peridot chuckled under her breath, enjoying whatever inside joke she was sole party to. Standing directly in front of her now, Peridot looked up at her roommate. "Lazuli," she said flatly.

" _What?_ " Lapis snapped.

"You don't need to do all of this elaborate and frankly _creepy_ practice."

Lapis bit her lip. "What am I supposed to do? This stuff doesn't come naturally to me, you know."

"Just ask him! The _real_ him," she clarified. "Do you think there's any scenario where he'll turn you down?"

Lapis pondered that for a moment. Peridot may have been right, but somehow the prospect of rejection still scared her. If she could think rationally about this, she wouldn't have a problem in the first place—and she wouldn't need to practice.

"If I could just ask him, I wouldn't have been—" she swallowed. "Well, you saw. Anyways, I always end up sounding like an idiot."

Peridot shrugged. "So sound like an idiot! Steven will still go wherever you want."

That was... somewhat comforting, but it didn't solve all of her problems. "What about after that? What if I'm stuttering the whole time were—" she lowered her voice to nearly inaudible levels. "—on a _date_."

"What if, what if," Peridot flapped her hands around dramatically. "You need to stop worrying about what _could_ happen, and start _making_ it happen!"

"Ok, so how do I do that?" She had no idea why she was asking Peridot for advice on these things, besides the fact that Peridot was the only one she _could_ ask. Questionable advice was better than no advice... right?

Peridot put one hand to her own chest. "As a _theoretical expert_ on Earth matchmaking, I would be happy to assist you in your pursuit of Steven."

"Have you helped anyone do that before?"

"In _theory_ , I have."

That didn't engender confidence, but after having held these worries in for so long, it felt good just to have someone in her corner. "Ok, then. What do I do?"

Peridot stroked her chin. "Matchmaking is, at its core, an engineering problem—" That didn't sound right to the other Gem, but she knew better than to expect to be able to follow her roommate's thought process.

"—and any engineering problem should be approached in reverse, with an end goal in mind before a solution is devised."

Lapis nodded along until Peridot stopped talking. "I don't get it."

Peridot steepled her fingers in front of her mouth before pointing them at Lapis. "What do you want to accomplish over the course of this 'date'?"

Lapis' eyes drifted upwards while she thought. She had imagined all sorts of ways the day could play out. Getting pizza and eating half of each other's slices, people-watching on the boardwalk and making catty remarks at the townies, running on the beach in ankle deep water as the evening tide lapped at their feet. Were those really things to 'accomplish', though?

"Well, I'd like for us to have fun, obviously."

"Obviously," Peridot echoed.

" _Kiss_ ," Lapis nearly whispered.

Peridot raised an eyebrow. "What was that?"

Lapis cleared her throat. "At the end of the date—we kiss."

A smirk spread across Peridot's face. She did genuinely want to help, but she couldn't help but draw the slightest bit of amusement from the normally surly blue Gem's newfound timidity.

"Ok, ok," Peridot said, stifling a laugh. "That's doable. You said you've kissed someone before, so you've already got that figured out, right?"

Lapis rubbed her neck. "Not... exactly. Not _well_ , anyway."

Peridot rolled her eyes. "You've got a lot to learn, and not a lot of time to learn it. Duplicate what I do exactly." She puckered her lips and stood on her toes, angling forward.

"What are you doing?" Lapis stammered.

"You need to learn how to kiss, right?"

Lapis nodded.

"Well what you trivialize as 'kissing' is a complex movement that involves the simultaneous contraction of 31 separate facial muscles. Did you know that? Have you done the research that I have?"

They both already knew that she hadn't. Lapis shook her head and grimaced, then stuck her lips out and leaned towards Peridot, face twisted up like she was preparing to kiss a fish.

"Lapis! Peridot! I—" The barn door slid open, followed by a gasp. Steven stood in the doorway, eyes wide with shock.

Lapis froze. All of the embarrassing moments her mind had feverishly conjured up paled in comparison to the reality of her present situation. She might have found this funny if she weren't so utterly mortified, and if she hadn't been the butt of the joke fate had decided to play on her in that moment.

"I knew it!" Steven shouted, before shaking his head and doing an about-face. "I mean... sorry! I'll come back later!"

Lapis did a double take between him and Peridot before shoving the other Gem away. "Wait, Steven!"

He stopped and turned around, his face red with embarrassment. Catching someone in such a compromising situation had a way of being just as awkward as being the one caught.

"This isn't what it looks like! I actually, ah..." The words stuck in her throat. She had felt awkward just talking to a fake Steven in solitary seclusion. Broaching the subject _now,_ after what she had just been caught doing?

"Lazuli has something she wants to ask you!" Peridot yelled, startling the other two.

"Oh, uh... ok." Steven looked expectantly at the blue Gem, who rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet.

Peridot's shouting had surprised Lapis, but it was enough to get her mouth moving again. "Would you like to go somewhere with me today?"

"Well, sure," he replied, as if the answer were obvious. Was that it? She had passed through her crucible unscathed?

"Where do you want to go, though?" Steven asked.

Lapis inhaled sharply. She had no idea—she had never thought that she would get this far.

* * *

The man had grown far more talkative since Jasper had coaxed the truth from the frightened traveler—it was like a dam had broken. He seemed almost relieved to talk about his reasons for being so far out in the desert.

"This Djinn, it is a being of the desert that hunts people and animals alike. All are its prey," the man explained. The Gems sat on cushions inside the tent, the plates heaped with food brought before them left completely untouched—a grave cultural insult, but one that went largely unnoticed considering the magnitude of Jasper's earlier affronts.

"So why would you seek out such a thing?" Pearl was beginning to understand the man better and speak more clearly, her rusty language skills becoming sharper with more usage.

"It has a diamond." The man pointed at his chest. "Right here, as large as a man's fist!" He held his clenched hand in the air for effect. Jasper sat silently, enraptured. Pearl translated for her as the man spoke, and her attention was captured as soon as she had heard that single word—diamond.

"And it's a... djinn, you called it? What does it look like?"

The color drained from his face, his tanned skin turning deathly pale as he began to sweat. "It is a hound covered in bone, a massive beast with crimson eyes like pools of blood—and it's teeth..." He stopped and swallowed, a shellshocked stare on his face.

"You sound like you've seen it before."

He nodded. "I believed that I could kill it and take the Diamond for myself, with... well, you saw the guns. It seems that six camels worth of weaponry is not enough—I barely escaped with my life."

Jasper scoffed. A human killing a Gem? She couldn't even bring herself to be offended by the man's hubris. It was simply too ridiculous an idea to take seriously.

Pearl raised an eyebrow and tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I only saw four camels."

The man hung his head sadly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry..."

Jasper looked at Pearl and jerked her head in the man's direction, urging Pearl to get the conversation back on track. Pearl coughed, and the man broke his sad reverie to look up at her.

"If you had already given up, why lie about it to us?"

The man wavered. "I had thought to come back here with my cousins and try again, but now I am thinking that is not such a good idea. I wash my hands of this," he declared, holding his palms out towards them.

Jasper stood to her feet and looked down him. "Show us where to find this beast."

* * *

Flat wastes and the occasional rolling dune had given way to rough terrain of red rocks that jutted out of the ground like pillars crafted by mother nature herself. The camels walking beside Pearl and Jasper had begun to groan, protesting the rocky ground they were driven across by their master.

"I can take you no further," the man announced, stopping the line of camels behind him. His wives rode on the last two. "Continue through these badlands, and you will find what you are looking for—or, more likely, it will find you." He turned the line of camels around, and with a quick shout and a snap of the reins he was headed away from the Gems. One of the woman winked at Jasper and waved at her before the group disappeared behind an outcropping of boulders. The Gens turned back to their goal, surveying what lie ahead.

After a time spent walking, their surroundings had changed again. Not the terrain—that was the same as always. Littering the rocky desert were rusted tanks, crude box-shaped things that must have been a hundred years old. Some were blasted open, other tipped onto their side, still others simply sitting there, undamaged save by the ravages of time and the desert sands. Different flags adorned the vehicles, symbols of empires as long dead as whatever soldiers had laid down their lives here.

Jasper looked around in disgust. "What is this, a junkyard?"

"My stars... this must be from the Great War," Pearl marvelled.

Jasper cocked her head at her. "All wars are great," she asserted confidently.

A brief smile flashed across Pearl's face—Jasper was nothing if not direct. She also had to admit that she had thought just like Jasper did at one point, and occasionally the romantic memories of hard-fought battles and well-earned victories would overshadow the cruel realities of armed conflict. Then she would remember a time and a place much like this elephant graveyard of human machinery, a place she once stood as one of few sole survivors among the shattered remains of friend & foe alike. War was sometimes worth it, but it was never _Great_.

"You don't regret any of the battles you've fought?" Pearl asked Jasper.

"I regret the ones I didn't get to fight," she responded without hesitation. They continued through the artificial scrap-canyon, occasionally bumping into each other when the path forward narrowed. Neither Gem was willing to give up the lead, and the shorter Pearl was forced to walk at a brisk pace to match the Quartz's long stride.

"You know," Pearl said between my quick breaths. "You should let me take the lead on this. I am, after all, the more experienced one."

"I'm a quartz soldier—you're a pearl. There should be no question who leads." Jasper stepped in front of her, giving Pearl a close-up view of Jasper's broad back.

"I've captured hundreds of corrupted Gems. You've never done this before." Pearl dashed around Jasper and continued walking in front of her.

Frustrated, Jasper grabbed Pearl by the collar of her tunic and brought her to an abrupt halt.

Pearl shouted in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"Why did you drag me here if you insist on ignoring my superior abilities?" She growled.

Pearl spun free of Jasper's grip and drew her spear from her gem. The desert sun had begun to set, and the cool glow of the weapon illuminated the area around the two Gems, like a moonlit clearing

"Oh for... there is no corrupted Gem," Pearl exclaimed.

"What do you mean there's no Gem?" Jasper snarled, hunching her back and lifting her shoulders ever so slightly.

Pearl sighed. "We wanted to keep you busy, and I wanted to try to get to know you. Now I see that was a stupid idea—the only time you talk is when you have something nasty to say." The words came from her mouth like venom, each one driving Jasper to new depths of anger.

"A trick—a betrayal! I knew it!" They'd set all this up. Of course they had—what else should she have expected from these rebels? She hadn't seen it coming because she'd been been preoccupied—not anymore. Now her mind was razor sharp, focused on the threat in front of her. Her feet slid into a fighting stance and she raised her hands, hundreds of pounds of sinewy Gem ready to pounce.

A nearby sound, like the scrape of metal on metal, drew both Gems' attention, though neither was willing to take their eyes off the other—then they heard a growl. They lowered their weapons—Pearl her spear and Jasper her fists—and approached a large boulder, then peered past the side of it. Standing in a clearing was a creature, taller than Jasper even though it stood on all fours. An unsettling combination of hound and reptile, plates of bone sat atop much of its mottled skin and behind it, a spiked tail swung back and forth menacingly. Was this even a Gem? Pearl's eyes searched it for its gemstone. The camouflage-like hide of yellow spots on brown flesh made it hard to locate such a small thing.

"Just... stay calm," Pearl urged Jasper, watching the beast carefully. "Don't make any sudden—"

Then, from the corner of her eye, movement. Jasper shot past Pearl, running straight at the beast. Sensing movement, it swung around and brought its tail bearing down on Jasper with a swirl of sand as she charged at it. The quartz was caught unaware, smacked by the spiked appendage and sent flying into a pile of scrap.

Pearl grimaced reflexively, then rolled her eyes and readied her spear. "Looks like it's my turn." She dashed in close, giving the tail a wide birth and watching the corrupted Gem carefully. Any twitch, any minute muscular movement would tell her where it would strike. A cornered animal was dangerous, but it was also instinctual—and that made it predictable.

She lunged at the Gem's front, thrusting her spear at its fleshy chest. It bent its front legs, pressing its stomach to the ground and scrambling in the dust to face its new attacker. Pearl's spear met the armor shell covering its face, and the blade scraped along the hard bone harmlessly. She leapt away as the creature swung its tail around, swiping at where her ankles had been just a moment ago.

"I can handle this!" Jasper roared as she scrambled out of the scrap heap the creature had sent her flying into. With no thought given to tactics she charged in a blind rage at the corrupted Gem. Without even turning to face her it battered her away with its tail yet again. Jasper flew through the air, hitting the sand with a muted thump before rolling to a stop and crawling to her feet once again. Pearl could admire her persistence, if not her tactics—or total lack thereof.

"You can't do the exact same thing twice and expect a different result!" Pearl jabbed at the Gem, trying to find an opening somewhere on its heavily armored body.

"And what do you call what you're doing?" Jasper retorted as she watched the lithe Pearl dance around the beast, jabbing at it futilely.

"Oh for..." Pearl exclaimed between elaborated breaths. "What do you suggest, then?"

"This!" Jasper ran at the Gem a third time, and Pearl prepared herself for a repeat of Jasper's earlier attempts to close the distance with it. It's tail swung at her, connecting with the Quartz, but this time Jasper did something different—she wrapped her arms around the appendage the moment it reached her, then her strong legs.

The corrupted Gem panicked, spinning in place and waving its tail frantically while Jasper held on for dear life. It swatted her against the ground in an attempt to dislodge the unwanted hanger-on, but she kept her hold on the spiny length. The creature roared and reared up on its hind legs, desperately craning its head backwards and gnashing its teeth at Jasper.

"If you're going to do something, do it now!" Jasper shouted impatiently. With a full view of its exposed underbelly, Pearl took aim and hurled her weapon upward at the Gem's center of mass. The glowing spear sailed through the air, lodging itself in the beast's chest.

The corrupted Gem squealed, a pained cry cut short by the puff of air that heralded the Gem retreating into its stone. Jasper fell to the ground, as did not one gem, but two—a pair of red stones, falling from where the Gem's eyes had been. Pearl approached the one closer to her and picked it up, brushing off the sand that clung to it. It was lumpy and misshapen—a dull Quartz of faded red.

"So it's not a diamond after all." Pearl looked up to see Jasper clutching the other of the two gems—it looked much like the one she herself held. "I'm not sure what I expected."

Jasper's fist clenched and Pearl could see her arm straining against the stone.

"Don't shatter it!" Pearl implored her.

"Why not? It's corrupted—an abomination. We should put them out of their misery." Jasper turned to Pearl and saw that she once again held her spear in her hands, and once again, it was pointed at Jasper. "Don't point that at me unless you're ready to use it."

Pearl's face remained resolute. "I don't want to, but I will if I have to."

Jasper scoffed. "You'd fight me for this... _thing_? You can't beat me."

"Maybe not, but I'd try," she replied. "Steven can help them. _We_ can help them." Pearl hoped to appeal to Jasper's better nature, if such a thing existed.

Neither Gem moved a muscle, tension building from their stare-down until Jasper broke away her gaze and clicked her tongue dismissively. "What do I care? Keep it."

Pearl fumbled for the stone and caught it, watching with bewilderment—and no small amount of relief—as Jasper walked past her and began the long trek back to the warp pad. Pearl bubbled the gems together and sent them back to the temple, then turned to watch Jasper for a moment before joining her.


	16. Chapter 16

Lapis grimaced and poked at her ear.

"Stop fiddling with it!" Came Peridot's voice through the small metal earpiece embedded in the blue Gem's ear.

"Sorry!" She whispered, tilting her head down to her chest.

"And _stop_ talking to me!" Peridot said.

Walking beside her, Steven looked up at the mumbling Gem. "Huh? Did you say something?"

She shook her head. "Nope! I'm just, uh..." She looked towards the Funland complex on the boardwalk ahead of them. "Looking forward to today! Funland looks a lot different than it used to."

Steven followed her eyes and was momentarily taken aback. "Wow, it does..." Even from the exterior he could spot a new rollercoaster peaking out above the park walls, as well as a few other colorful looking buildings that had excitement welling deep within him.

Lapis took his momentary distractedness to fiddle with her earpiece again, willing to endure Peridot's chastisement to satisfy the itch growing in her ear. It had been her idea, after all—Peridot would shadow the two of them and give live advice to Lazuli through the two-way ear piece. It had seemed like—well, not a _great_ idea, but not a _terrible_ idea, either. Now, however, she was rethinking the plan. Their day hadn't even truly started yet, and already she was having trouble dividing her attention between the two of them.

"Hello, Mr. Smiley!" Steven greeted the park's owner, who was in a stand bushing himself counting receipts. A mustachioed man of dark complexion wearing shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, he was never seen without a broad grin and the fanny pack buckled around his waist.

He looked up and his grin grew broader. "Steven!" My favorite customer!"

Steven was flattered, but surprised. "...Really?" He and the Gems had been at the root of some... _events_ at various Funland attractions throughout the years that had left Mr. Smiley picking up the pieces—quite literally, more often than not.

"Really! So, two tickets, right? Child and..." he examined the millennia old gem beside Steven. "Let's say two children."

"Yup!" Steven began to reach into his back pocket for his wallet.

"Whoa there! I can't let my favorite customer pay! Today is on the house."

Steven raised an eyebrow—now he _knew_ something was amiss. "You're not going to charge us?"

"Nope!" Mr. Smiley put his hands on his hips and beamed. "After you crashed that ship in the ocean, a bunch of scrap washed up on my beach. I was going to march over to that temple of yours and give you a piece of my mind, but then—" he lowered his voice and leaned over towards Steven after giving a sidelong glance for any possible eavesdroppers. "These two guys in black suits and sunglasses gave me a briefcase full of money and hauled all that stuff away."

 _Well, that explained the new rides._

He stood back up and waved them towards the park entrance. "So go on, have fun!"

Steven slid his wallet back into his pocket and the two walked through the park turnstiles. A shout came from behind them.

"Oh, and if you have any more fights, try and do them in front of my beach, alright?"

The pair stood at the center of the park entrance. Rides, attractions, and food carts stood all around them, and the park was filled with tourists and townies alike.

"What do you want to do first?" Lapis asked.

"Hmm..." Steven looked around. So many options actually made it _harder_ to pick any one thing. It all looked fun—

His eyes fell on the teacup ride and he winced. He could feel his breakfast rising in his stomach in protest at the mere sight of the nauseating experience. Maybe they weren't _all_ fun. He pulled the park map from his pocket and quickly found one of the new rides.

"How about the log flume? I've never done that before."

Lapis could hear the tapping of fingers on a touchpad on the other end of her earpiece. "Lazuli! Say yes! My research tells me that a 'log flume' is a water-based ride—you'll be in control, and successful dates are about remaining in complete control of all possible eventualities."

She turned to Steven and smiled. "Sounds good, let's go!"

Making their way to the ride, they came within view of it and were both disappointed to see a throng of people that stretched well outside of the ride's entrance. A LED sign hung above the wood-framed entrance, "Estimated wait: 60 minutes" flashing in red on it.

Steven groaned. "Maybe we should've come here earlier. Oh well, there's lots of other rides."

Peridot piped in. "Don't let him leave! I can deal with this."

Lapis wasn't sure what she had planned, but she grabbed Steven by the shoulder anyway. "Wait! Let's just stand here for a moment. I want to see what the ride looks like."

"Oh, sure," he said, turning back around to watch the log flume. Past a low wooden fence and a hedge ran a long halfpipe with water flowing down it. They heard a low roar as one of the logs approached, two screaming kids and their less-enthusiastic parents flying down the tube at breakneck speed. They hit a deep pool at the bottom of a slope and sent water flying everywhere, soaking the four of them.

Steven grinned. "We'll _definitely_ have to do that later—"

A loud siren coming from loudspeakers near the ride interrupted him, then a voice. "Please evacuate the park, there has been a chemical contamination event. Proceed in an orderly but _speedy_ manner to the nearest park exit."

He looked around, startled, as the equally shocked crowds began to flow out of the log flume ride and past the pair. Grabbing Lapis' hand and walking with the flow of the crowd, he stumbled back when she stopped him.

"Didn't you hear that? We've gotta go!"

Lapis stood fast and watched the line for the ride dissipate. "We should wait and make sure everyone gets out alright."

"Oh, good thinking." He experienced a brief flash of shame—he could learn a thing or two from Lapis' selflessness.

Lapis was being anything but selfless, of course. She had immediately recognised Peridot's artificially deepened voice through the alarm system. The green Gem had ordered a voice changer online in the belief that it would give her a more intimidating presence, and Lapis had hid the thing within a week of being forced to endure its use. Apparently, Peridot had found it again.

After several minutes spent watching the park empty out, not a soul was left in sight. A familiar voice came through the speaker system. "That was a test of our emergency broadcast system—only a test. There is nothing wrong with any ride whatsoever."

Steven smiled and looked at the empty line before them. "Wow! Can you believe that?"

Lapis grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess we got lucky." Maybe having Peridot tag along as an unseen third wheel would work out after all.

He pulled her towards the ride and they ran through the maze of rope that had once held an hour-long wait. A sleepy teenager at the ride briefly lifted his head up from a console to wave the pair onto one of the waiting logs, and they hopped in, Steven in front. Lapis slid in behind him, her bare legs on either side of him.

"You can hold onto me if you want," Steven said.

"Ok!" Lapis' arms shot forward and wrapped around his chest before the word had left her mouth.

"What are you doing?" Peridot scolded her. "Don't let him sit in front! You're giving up power!" Lapis flapped her wings just hard enough to lift her above Steven and drop her down in front of him.

"I want to try riding in front on my first time," she said, before adding "but you can hold onto me too!"

"Oh, alright..." He placed his hands on Lapis' stomach, but his grip felt loose. Within moments the log shook and began moving, propelled forward by the rubber belt running below the ride. The two of them sailed under tree bows and walkways, the speed of the ride making it appear as if they were coming dangerously close to each overhang as mists of water sprayed all around them. The ride slowed and they were pulled up a hill in preparation for a long drop.

Lapis heard Peridot in her ear. "This is the part where you demonstrate your value to Steven. Whatever happens, do not let the wave hit him!" She squinched up her face. Wasn't that the whole point of the ride? She remembered how enthralled Steven had looked earlier when they'd seen that family getting splashed...

"Here it coooomes!" Steven yelled as they crested the hill. He held his arms up as the log tipped downwards and went hurtling towards the pool of water at the bottom. The park below them flew by and they struck the pool, sending water flying up into the air—but not falling.

Confused, Steven twisted around to see Lapis holding her hands up, palms forward. She pushed her hands to the side and the water parted, then fell safely to either side of the tube. Steven turned back around, partly amused and partly disappointed—she _did_ realize what an amusement ride was, right?

The very dry pair got off of the ride and considered their next move. "You know you're _supposed_ to get wet, right?" Steven asked, cracking a wry smile.

Lapis gripped her arm. "Oh, uh... sorry. Reflexes."

Steven waved it off. "That's alright, you'll get the hang of it. There are tons of other rides." He pulled the still-dry map from his pocket—one upside to the anticlimactic conclusion of the log flume. "How about skee-ball? That's nice and easy—then we can do more rides."

Peridot murmured in Lazuli's ear. "Hmm... it's not ideal, but we can work with that."

"Sure, let's do that." Lapis took his hand and they again circled the park, roller coasters and pendulum rides giving way to the older, more carnival-like areas of the park. They entered the arcade building and Steven wound his way through the machines, easily able to find the skee-ball machines in his all-too-familiar stomping ground. He placed Lapis in front of one of the machines before leaving, then quickly returning with a fistful of tokens.

"Now _this_ game is all about _finesse_ —watch carefully." He put a token in and retrieved one of the balls dispensed by the machine, then assumed a bowling stance and narrowed his eyes before tossing the ball onto the slope. The wooden ball rolled up, then bounced into the centermost target. Lights flared and music played, and a string of tickets shot out of the machine. Steven folded his arms and nodded smugly, then put another token in and stepped back.

"Go ahead, give it a shot." He gestured at one of the balls, and Lapis picked it up before assuming an awkward stance in front of the game. Steven cracked a smile when he saw that she was holding the small ball with both hands, and had to stifle a laugh when she tossed the ball up from between her legs. It fell far short of any of the targets and rolled into the collector at the bottom.

"Not everyone can be as good as I am—"

She couldn't hear the rest of what he said over Peridot shouting in her ear. " _How_ could you mess that up? You're losing him!"

He _looked_ happy enough... Lapis glanced around furtively to try and find Peridot and get an idea of what she should do. Was this really that bad a situation?

"Don't look for me! Do something amazing, show him how strong you are!"

Water shot from Lapis' gem and reached into Steven's pocket, and a liquid hand holding his tokens split up into a dozen separate tendrils before extending to each of the skee-ball machines. He watched in confusion and amazement as the tokens were placed into the games, the hands picked up the dispensed balls, and then dropped them into the targets at the center of each game board.

"Whoa! You can't do that!" He looked around nervously for Mr. Smiley. He had been in a good mood, sure, but seeing this might ruin it.

Lapis didn't hear him—she was too busy focusing on dropping the series of wooden balls into a dozen different targets as tickets accumulated on the floor in front of the games. Eventually her supply of tokens ran out, and she used her water to collect the tickets into a damp heap that she handed to Steven with a smile.

"There! Guess you're not the best now, huh?"

He grinned awkwardly. "I guess so, but... I feel bad keeping these. We kind of cheated."

Her shoulders slumped as her nervous energy died down. "Oh, yeah..."

Off to the side, Steven spotted a young boy eyeing the arcade's wall of prizes and walked up to him, tickets in hand.

"Hey," he said, drawing the kid's attention from whatever toy he had been fixated on. "Do you want these? I don't really need them."

The boy's eyes lit up and he extended his arms, silently gawking at what must have seemed like a fortune to a child that age. Steven dropped the tickets into his arms and the boy staggered slightly under the weight.

"Thanks," came the muted reply, his face obscured behind the pile in his hands. Steven smiled and waved for Lapis to follow him to the exit.

They stepped outside, and Steven stretched his arms and cracked his knuckles. Again he was at a bit of a loss as to what to do. He'd thought Lapis would like a water ride, but that had put her right into fight-or-flight mode. Then he'd tried a game, but she had treated it like a competition—not that getting beaten _bothered_ him, but he wanted her to have relax and have fun. His eyes fell on a photo booth, and he smiled.

"How about a quick photo? You know, just to remember today. I know it's early but—"

Peridot shouted in Lapis' ears. "No, it's too soon! I have a photo booth moment scheduled in the date master plan but—" Lapis winced and took the earpiece out of her ear, then flicked it into the garbage. A distant shout was heard by the two as their stalker experienced the electronic feedback of the earpiece striking metal. Steven noticed Lapis scratching her ear and looked at her oddly.

"A bug got in my ear," she assured him, and he grimaced. "That sounds fun, let's do that," she continued with a smile. She could only guess at what a 'photo booth' was, but clearly a rigid plan wasn't doing her any favors today. She would do what Steven wanted to do, and whatever happened she would let happen. Maybe it wouldn't be _perfect,_ but she was sure it would be good enough—she'd be doing it with him, after all.

They walked over to the photo booth and Steven ushered her inside, then pulled the booth curtain closed. The pair sat down on the stool in the center, squeezing together to fit onto the small seat. In front of them was a touchscreen display and a live video feed of the two.

"This is what the photo will look like," Steven explained, pointing at the screen. "What kind of picture should we take?"

Lapis sat up as straight as she could in the cramped booth and smoothed out any lingering wrinkles on her blue dress, drawing her shoulders back and staring intensely into the camera in front of them.

Steven doubled over with laughter. "Not like _that_ ," he exclaimed. "You're supposed to do something funny."

"Funny? Like what?"

"Like thith," Steven lisped, sticking his tongue out and rolling his eyes up into the back of his head. Lapis snorted and mimicked him, watching the bizarre pair they made on the screen.

Steven returned his face to normal. "Not bad, not bad. Now you try something, Lapis."

Lapis thought for a moment and then wrapped a thin veneer of water over her eyes in the shape of sunglasses, assuming a regal pose and stony demeanor. "You mean _'Garnet'_ ," she retorted in an imitation that had Steven rocking from side to side with laughter. He waited until he could keep himself contained before frowning and putting a hand on his chest daintily.

"Frankly, I don't approve, Lapis. Photographs aren't for horseplay." His Pearl was spot-on; she could only assume that Steven had received that exact lecture from her at some point.

They both laughed again before becoming silent. Lapis absent-mindedly looked over the small photographs lining the wall in front of them, duplicates of the mementos past park attendees had made for themselves. Most of them were making faces or poses like the two of them had been, but a few weren't—a few were kissing.

She pointed at one of the photos. "Do people kiss in here?"

Steven shrugged awkwardly. "Yeah, I guess so."

He left it at that, and the silence grew oppressive.

"You said you've never done it before... have you thought about it?" Lapis asked him.

Steven squirmed in the seat. "I wouldn't say I've _never_ thought about it." He turned his head away from her, and a bit of spite entered his voice. "You'd know more than me."

Lapis was taken aback but grinned mischievously. "Are you still mad about what I said?"

"Why would I be mad?" Neither of them was convinced by his feigned disinterest.

"Then are you jealous?"

"Maybe a _little,_ " he replied quietly. He was silent for a moment before he turned to her and shook his hands back and forth. "Not that I _should_ be, I mean, we're not—"

She cut him off "That's right, you shouldn't be."

"I... huh?"

"When I said I kissed someone... I meant you."

He looked at her in confusion, and she sighed. "You were sleeping, and I kissed you. That's all I meant."

"Oh." He rubbed his neck and looked away from her.

"Are you mad?" She probed him, scanning his face for any clue as to how he felt about what she had just revealed.

Steven went to speak before pausing and gathering his thoughts, then cracking a smile. "No. Kind of relieved, actually."

"Really? It isn't weird that I did that to you while you were asleep?"

"Well, maybe a little..." Her faced turned downcast and he added "But I don't mind, really! It's just that... it doesn't mean anything unless both people are doing it together."

"I see." Lapis glanced at the photo screen before turning back to Steven. "Will you try it with me, then?"

Steven swallowed, shifting on the seat again—this time towards Lapis, not away from her. "If you want to," he mumbled.

"Yeah," was all she could reply, breathing hard as the two found themselves leaning in towards each other expectantly, their eyes fluttering half-open. With one last thought given to their surroundings, Steven fumbled for the booth controls and hit the delayed photo button before closing his eyes and closing the remaining few inches of empty space between him and Lapis.

As their lips met, Steven could see the flash of the camera through his closed eyes. He opened them and looked at the string of small sticky photos being ejected from the machine's dispenser in front of him. Taking them in hand, he examined one closely. Neither Steven nor Lapis was in the photograph. In their place was a woman with turquoise skin and curly dark blue hair that framed a round face.

"What the... who is that?" Lapis wondered.

"I don't know... is this some sort of special photo booth?" He mumbled, matching her confusion. They stood up and ducked out of the booth. Steven struck his head on his way out and winced, rubbing it with his hand.

"Lapis! I saw a flash—" Steven looked up to see Peridot running up to him before coming to a halt and staring at him, mouth agape. Wasn't she supposed to stay hidden?

 _Wait—hidden from what? And how did he know about that?_

"W-w-wha..." Peridot stammered, unable to form anything intelligible.

"What's wrong with you?" Lapis asked.

Peridot swallowed. "Look at yourself!"

Lapis ducked back into the photo booth and looked at the view screen. Staring back at her—and Steven—was not either of them, but the strange woman whose picture had just been taken. Supporting herself in the doorway with two hands gripping the sides, she brought another set of hands up and flipped them around, examining them. In place of her joints were opaque balls of crystalline ice, and her hands swiveled around freely as she marveled at her figure—strange and unfamiliar, but unmistakably her own.

The confused Gem backed out of the booth again, watching her head this time. She stood taller than either Lapis or Steven, nearly the combined height of the two. Peridot had managed to close her mouth, but otherwise she hadn't yet moved a single muscle.

"Who are you? She wondered aloud.

The Gem opened her mouth to speak before pausing and scratching her head.

"I'm not sure."


	17. Chapter 17

The newly-formed Gem laughed. "You should see your face." Her voice was husky yet lyrical, and, despite being only a minute old, she was handling the situation with far more aplomb than the shellshocked Peridot.

"How can you be so... _casual?_ " She shouted. "You fused!"

The Gem raised one of her thick eyebrows and crossed her lower set of arms over the rosy Gem on her exposed midriff, shrugging nonchalantly with the other pair of arms. "Yeah, we fused. So?" Cool air drifted off of her icy joints, making Peridot shiver.

"It just seems like you're taking this... not as _seriously_ as you should, Lapis—Stev—err...Lapiven."

She blew air through her lips dismissively. "And you're making too big of a deal out of it." Lapiven looked around with a fresh set of eyes at the park her two halves had just been through. "It happened, so I might as well have fun." She grabbed Peridot by the hand. "Come on, you should come too!" Her voice was enthusiastic, and Peridot could hear subtle shifts in pitch when one of her two halves came to the forefront.

"Where are we going?" Peridot asked, moving her short legs at breakneck speed to keep up with the tall Gem dragging her along with long strides.

Lapiven looked back with a mischievous grin. "To ride the log flume. I didn't get to have fun on it the first time."

Something about her smile made Peridot nervous—how did she plan on having _more_ fun? It's an amusement park ride, you ride it and then get off. She didn't have time to inquire further, though, and her protests fell on deaf ears.

Lapis and Steven had navigated the park without drawing too much attention to themselves. Sure, the former had blue skin, but the town residents had seen stranger things. Lapiven, on the other hand, turned every head she passed. Tourists and townies alike gawked at the tall, light-blue Gem dragging her smaller companion and leaving trails of icy wisps in the air behind her. Every few feet a camera would flash; not that the park goers were being deliberately rude—most assumed she was part of some show they hadn't seen yet. If Lapiven minded the attention, she didn't show it.

By the time they reached the ride and she loosed her grip on Peridot's arm, the unfortunate green Gem was left nursing a ring of freezer burn that circled her wrist.

The line in front of the ride had reformed—the fear of a toxic leak could only keep people away for so long after they'd already paid the $40 park entry fee.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather find a quieter ride?" Peridot stood on her toes, attempting to see how far the line stretched. "This looks pretty busy."

Lapiven wasn't listening. She had her arms extended towards the ride entryway, and the crowd began to shiver. The fans above the line, which sprayed a fine mist of water along with air to keep people cool while they waited, began to do _far_ too effective a job. Crystals formed on the wire mesh covering the fans, and the watery spray turned to snow that fell on the t-shirt and short-clad crowd. The freezing throngs of ridegoers started to walk out of the ride, then run, seeking warmth as they rubbed their arms and chattered their teeth.

"See?" Lapiven said to Peridot with a smirk. "No wait _now._ "

Peridot chuckled nervously. "Yeah..."

They ran through the empty lines, Peridot keeping pace mainly out of fear that she would have to feel that ice-cold hand on her own again—and so soon after regaining feeling in her fingers. The ride attendant waved them onto the waiting log with a practiced apathy that could only come from long days of working a menial job. Lapiven hopped in front again, and Peridot slid in behind her—she may have been dragged along, but the reluctant green Gem had no desire to get soaking wet.

The log lurched forward, and Peridot held onto the sides to avoid being shaken loose by the jostling of the ride as it wound its way through bend after bend. She wasn't looking forward to that final drop—not one bit. They began their ascent up the hill, and Lapiven turned back towards Peridot.

"Remember to stick your hands up in the air!"

Peridot grimaced and mimicked the four-armed Fusion in front of her, although with much less enthusiasm. No matter—she had done the mental calculations on their way through the line, and had determined that there was no danger of her being thrown off of the log despite her size.

She looked down at the park a hundred feet below her as the log tipped forward, and suddenly that confidence evaporated. Hands held aloft, she screamed as the two Gems sailed towards the water below. Was it her imagination, or were they going faster than they should be? The water below them was giving no resistance at all, it was almost like they were sliding along on—

 _Ice._

The stream of water below the ride had frozen solid, and friction had ceased to be a limiting factor in how fast they made their descent.

"Lapis! Lapiv—whoever! We're going too fast!" Her tiny fingers dug into the faux-wood siding of the log and she watched helplessly as the ride's end grew frighteningly close with each passing second.

Lapiven held two hands forward. "Don't worry, I've got this."

Peridot couldn't quite breathe a sigh of relief yet, but she was glad that Lapiven at least recognized the danger they were in. She felt the log jerk upwards as they were lifted into the air. Still moving forward, a track of ice was rapidly forming beneath them, carrying the log up and away from its intended destination. Peridot could see the ride attendant below peek out from beneath the canopy at the end of the ride before shrugging and disappearing from view again.

The ride slowed as Lapiven manipulated it through half a dozen twists and turns, circling the log down onto the concrete outside of the ride entrance where it slid to a stop. For a few moments, Peridot didn't move—or even breathe. She doubled and then triple checked that they had, indeed, made it safely onto solid ground before she pried her fingers off of the wood on either side of her. She stood up, stepped out of the ride, and then dropped down onto all fours with a sigh of immense relief.

"That was awesome!" Lapiven jumped out after her, her face beaming in contrast to Peridot's thousand yard stare.

"I thought I was going to die." Peridot swallowed and wobbled to her feet. "I knew I'd die someday—I just didn't think it'd be on an _amusement park ride_ on _Earth_."

Lapiven rolled her eyes and grinned. "Oh don't be a baby. You had fun too, admit it."

Peridot simply stared at her blankly, far too frazzled to argue back. Lapiven grabbed her arm and began walking, Peridot in tow. "Come on, there's a lot more rides I want to show you!"

* * *

The park had begun to wind down and the crowds had grown thinner as parents carried their exhausted children out to their cars. Two harrowing hours and seventeen rides later, noon had come and gone and Peridot lay face up in the sun on a park bench while Lapiven stood in front of her, hands on her hips—she clearly had no intention of letting her companion rest.

"Don't tell me you're tired already," she huffed impatiently.

Peridot lolled her head to the side to face her. 'Tired' was nowhere near adequate enough a term.

"I'm not moving from this bench until you promise that we're done."

Lapiven flapped her lips and plopped down on the bench beside Peridot and crossed two of her arms, tapping her legs impatiently with the other pair.

"You can go on rides without me, you know," Peridot grumbled.

The other Gem crinkled her nose. "I don't want to go alone, that's boring—and kind of lame."

The green Gem scoffed. "How would you be going _alone?_ You're a fusion!"

" _Other_ people don't know that. They'll see me riding alone and think I'm weird."

She had already attracted plenty of odd looks that day, and Peridot was fairly certain that it had nothing to do with the size of her entourage.

"Hey," Peridot said, tilting her head back to look at the Fusion. "Put your hand on my head."

Lapiven cocked her head at her curiously but did so anyway, resting a cold blue palm on Peridot's forehead. The small Gem let out a relaxed sigh, enjoying immediate relief from the beating of the warm sun above. "Perfect... Don't move."

"So I'm a walking ice pack now?"

Peridot peaked her eyes out past Lapiven's hand. "You did this to me—the least you can do is help out."

"Alright, alright." The larger Gem stood up and cracked her knuckles, stretching her other pair of blue arms far above her head like some sort of teenage Shiva. "If you're that tired, let's go home."

Peridot sat up on the bench. "...Which home?"

Lapiven looked at her in confusion for a moment before catching her meaning. "Good point..." She tapped her foot and ran a hand through her hair, stopping to curl one of the dark blue locks around her finger. "The temple, first." A broad grin spread across her face. "I want to meet the others."

Peridot would have much preferred going straight to the barn and collapsing onto her soft couch, but she could always make do with the one at Steven's home. "Ugh... I can hardly stand." She staggered to her feet and swung both arms back and forth in front of her.

"I'll fly us there!" Lapiven exclaimed, then turned around before cocking her head back towards Peridot and giving her a wink. "Don't say I never do anything for you."

Peridot walked towards her back, preparing to wrap her hands around Lapiven's waist just as she would with Lapis—though she had to reach a foot or so higher. Peridot stopped when she saw ice extending from the Gem between her shoulder blades. Jagged formations shot out at odd angles, taking the form of a pair of skeletal wings that looked much like a birds, if they had been stripped of any feathers and tissue. Lapiven looked back at Peridot to see why she hadn't grabbed on yet, then caught sight of her own wings. A troubled look flashed across her face and she retracted them quickly. They made a harsh, grating sound as she drew the wings back into the gem on her back.

"Actually, I feel like walking," she stated, face turned away from Peridot. She began making her way towards the park exit and Peridot followed—any desire to complain about her tired legs had left her.


	18. Chapter 18

The temple warp pad lit up and Jasper emerged from the radiant shaft of light, followed shortly afterwards by Pearl. The latter staggered off of the warp pad and made a beeline for the living room sofa that Amethyst was sprawled out on.

"How did it go?" Garnet asked. Pearl's only reply was an exhausted sigh as she collapsed face-first onto the couch, narrowly missing Amethyst who rolled onto the floor to avoid her. "...Not well?"

"You'd _think_ the desert was always hot, but it's not. It gets _freezing_ at night," Pearl muttered into the cushion, shivering as if her muscles could still remember the frigid temperatures. Propping herself up onto her elbows, she turned her head back to look at Jasper. "I only found that out because _Jasper_ insisted that she knew the way back to the warp pad better than _I_ did."

Jasper twisted her face in a sneer and leaned on a pillar near Pearl.

"...So what should have been a two hour walk turned into an overnight hike," Pearl concluded.

Amethyst had crawled up onto the couch beside Pearl and stretched her arms out across the back of it. "Well, at least you made it back, right? And it's the journey that counts, or whatever they say." She rolled her hand around in the air dramatically. "Too bad you couldn't find that corrupted Gem, though."

"We _did_ find a corrupted Gem," Jasper grunted, crossing her arms.

"Really?" Amethyst raised an eyebrow incredulously, but quickly put on her best poker face. "I mean, of course you did! That was the whole point, after all!"

"Amethyst." Pearl raised a hand to halt her nervous rambling. "She knows."

"Oh." Amethyst stretched the corners of her mouth down and looked aside guiltily.

" _Two_ of them, actually," Pearl added. "I sent them to the heart room ahead of us. They were joined together, too. Not _fused,_ but..." She trailed off, unsure of how to convey the odd form the corrupted Gems had taken on—Pearl wasn't sure that _she_ even understood what had happened to them.

"I trust you two found a way to work together," Garnet said.

"Oh, yes," Pearl mumbled. "Jasper was... invaluable." She cast a furtive glance at the Quartz who grunted a non-response.

Garnet shifted her sunglasses and pursed her lips. They had so many Gems bubbled—far too many. She'd been reluctant to push Steven's healing abilities too hard or too fast, and that meant that the heart room of the temple was quickly turning into an overcrowded triage center. He'd mended Nephrite completely—mind and body—but she hadn't been nearly as far gone as some of the others they had sequestered beneath them. From what little Pearl had said, the two they'd just captured were in even worse condition than most.

Then, besides the Gems themselves, there was the matter of Steven himself. His restorative powers were fickle, and how well they worked seemed to depend on _his_ state as much as they did on the Gems he was trying to help.

The front door opened and Peridot scurried into the house, her large head of blonde hair hardly reaching halfway up the doorway. "Is she here?" She rasped, looking around the room until her eyes fell on Jasper. "Gck—" She recoiled in fear at the sight of the Quartz.

Amethyst rolled her head to the side. "Could you _be_ any less specific?" She waved a hand at the assembled Gems.

"Their Fusion!" Peridot exclaimed, still struggling to catch her breath. "Steven and Lapis' fusion!"

Her words seemed to hit each Gem very differently. Pearl gasped and covered her mouth. Garnet—it was never easy to tell what the stoic Gem was thinking with her visor covering half of her face, but she was definitely smiling. Jasper tried to maintain her unflappable demeanor, but anyone who cared to look could see her mouth twisting up and tell that the news affected her more than she would have liked to admit.

Amethyst just snorted and bobbed her leg up and down on her knee. " _Huh..._ Really?"

"She didn't come here?" Peridot asked. "She ran ahead..."

Pearl peered around the house. She'd seen no sign of Steven since her and Jasper had returned. She then looked to Garnet, who held her hand to her head while her inscrutable third eye worked its magic under her visor.

For several moments she was silent, as were the rest of the Gems as they waited with rapt attention. Then, she dropped her hand to her side and shook her head. "Oh no," she muttered.

* * *

Lapiven stood on the beach, baking in the warm sun as the occasional ocean wave crept up the shore to cool her bare feet. She looked out towards the ocean and took a deep breath.

"Lets try this again," she sighed. Her muscles tensed and she extended her awareness to the gem on her back, feeling the power contained within it. Carefully she drew that power out, eyes closed and mind racing. She relaxed and opened her eyes, then turned her head back to look behind her.

Her tense expression turned downcast as she saw the useless, frozen structures jutting out of her gem in a cruel mockery of wings. They were solid and rigid, and they weighed on her unpleasantly. She bit the corner of her lip and drew them back into the teardrop-shaped stone between her shoulders, and once again faced the ocean before dropping her eyelids.

 _I can do this—_ _we_ _can do this._

She went through the motions she'd gone through a dozen times before, but when she turned around again she saw that the result was the same. With a scowling face she reached behind her back and tore out the wings, first the left, then the right, before hurling them into the ocean. Without their connection to the Fusion that had formed them they melted rapidly, becoming an indistinguishable part of the sea.

"What's wrong with me?" She choked out, half laughing in desperation. Her dress-clad bottom fell onto the wet sand and she crossed her legs in front of her, staring blankly at the waves flowing in and out from under her.

"Steven! Lapis!" She heard the beckoning call from nearby and squinched her eyes shut. She didn't want to talk to _anyone_ right now—she _certainly_ didn't want a lecture from Pearl.

The crunch of sand behind her grew closer until it stopped. "Err... What should I call you?"

She waved her hand. "Peridot called me 'Lapiven'... let's go with that."

"Its nice to meet you!" She paused for a moment, and Lapiven could feel Pearl's eyes burning a hole in her back. "Why are you sitting out here? Peridot said you ran ahead—she'd assumed you'd come home."

"I was going to." Lapiven flicked idly at the water with two of her hands. "But I felt like being alone for awhile."

Pearl was having a hard time containing her enthusiasm—the Crystal Gems hadn't even been sure that Steven could fuse with another Gem, yet here he—she?—was. Still, Pearl got the distinct sense that she should approach her carefully. Obviously something was distressing her, though Peridot—if she knew—hadn't given them any hints. Could it be she didn't want to run into Jasper? That would make sense, and be completely understandable, though it was something both Steven and Lapis would have to confront at some point.

The Fusion played with the ocean, avoiding Pearl's gaze and making elaborate little spouts of water dance in front of her.

Though maybe _now_ wasn't the best time to deal with that particular issue.

"Do you want to tell me why you wanted to be alone?" Pearl probed gently.

Lapiven laughed inwardly. Who could she talk to about this? Pearl, who was a paragon of perfection around the clock? Garnet, for whom Fusion was as natural as breathing? Or Amethyst, who, even though she was flawed, let that knowledge roll off of her like water off of a duck.

No, none of them would understand. In a sick irony, the being who came closest to potentially being able to empathize with her no longer existed—Malachite. Something that by all rights should never have been born, but despite the twisted pairing that had created it, had come out stronger than the sum of its parts.

Yet here _she_ was, something formed from love and mutual trust, and she couldn't even fly as Lapis could. What sort of cruel joke was that?

"Is this about Jasper?" Pearl pressed further. "You have every right to want nothing to do with her..."

Lapiven rolled her eyes. "I don't _care_ about Jasper," she snapped. That wasn't entirely true, of course. Both halves of her had their own complex sentiments about the ruthless Quartz, and much of those feelings were based on what she'd done to the other. Regardless, that wasn't what was gnawing at Lapiven in that moment.

Pearl stepped closer and tried to peer around to look her in the eye. "Maybe if you separated, Steven could _talk_ to Jasper—"

A small jet of water shot out from the shallow water surrounding the two of them, spraying Pearl in the forehead. She blocked it and moved to the side, wiping droplets off of her. "Stop that this _instant!"_ She demanded. "Are you doing this, Lapis?" A second jet formed and hit her lower in the face; she stumbled back and spat, gagging in disgust at the saltwater that had gotten into her mouth.

The water stopped, but the Fusion in front of her remained silent and kept her gaze fixed straight ahead. "You..." Pearl raised a finger and prepared to lecture her further, but let it drop with a sigh. "Just let me know when you're ready to talk, alright?"

* * *

She departed, leaving Lapiven alone with her thoughts once more—thoughts that weren't any better company than Pearl had been. She knew that Pearl had only been trying to help—in her own annoying way—but her nagging built up like an itch that had Lapiven lashing out when she couldn't stand it anymore. She'd scratched that itch, but it hadn't made her feel any better.

A few hours passed by—hours spent brooding, thinking herself in circles. Pearl was wrong. This wasn't Steven's problem, or Lapis', it was _hers._

She heard footsteps behind her, and cocked her head back. "I _thought_ I said—"

Lapiven squinted in the low light. A short, stout figure was crawling up a boulder a dozen feet behind her—and it certainly wasn't the tall, thin Pearl.

"Said what?" Amethyst grunted and pulled herself to the top of the rock and perched atop it, the cross-legged Gem casting a Budai-esque figure against the pastel-painted sky behind her.

"Sorry... I thought you were Pearl."

The purple Gem held her ankles and rocked back and forth. "What, did she lecture you?"

"I didn't really give her a chance to."

Amethyst leaned back and cackled, nearly rolling off of the back of her perch. "That explains why she came home soaking wet."

Lapiven chuckled along half-heartedly, unable to resist Amethyst's infectious laughter even if she herself couldn't find the humor in her actions.

"So, what's eating at you?" Amethyst paused to let the question sink in. "Obviously _something_ is."

Should she tell her? It was embarrassing—humiliating, even—but if any of the Crystal Gems could possibly understand, it was Amethyst.

"Do you ever feel like you _should_ be able to do something, but you _can't,_ no matter how hard you try?" She held a blue hand out and squinted at the setting sun, pinching it with two fingers. "And it just seems to get worse and worse the harder you work at it?"

"Mmm..." Amethyst scratched her thigh lazily. "Nope. It all comes naturally to me."

Lapiven pressed her lips together and scratched her forehead in frustration. "What about all that stuff you said in the Kindergarten? About not coming out perfect?"

"Oh, _that?_ Yeah, I got over it," she replied, flippantly. "I realized that just because I'm not perfect doesn't mean I can't be the best version of _me._ Pearl helped me realize that." She glanced upwards and tapped her chin before turning back to the blue Gem below her. "Hey, maybe you should've listened to Pearl earlier. I bet she would've had just the right thing to say."

"I'm _trying_ to be the best me!" Still seated, Lapiven whirled about to face Amethyst and slapped an open palm at the water behind her. "The best _me_ should at least be able to _fly!_ No one left _me_ to cook too long in the ground!"

Amethyst recoiled, and Lapiven's face softened as she turned back around in shame. She wished she could say that she didn't have any malice behind her words. "Sorry, I didn't mean..." Amethyst slid off of the rock and landed on the ground with a soft _thump._

"Hey, no skin off my back," she replied, and left.

 _Crap._

Lapiven sighed and tilted her chin up briefly before returning her gaze to the endless ocean horizon. She wasn't moving until she figured this out.

* * *

"Still out here, huh?"

Lapiven had begun nodding off to sleep, and hadn't even heard Garnet approaching. The voice brought her back to reality and she snapped upright.

"Yes," she groaned. "I'm still out here." She heard no sign of movement behind her, and Garnet didn't respond. "Did you want something?"

"Just wanted to talk," Garnet replied. "Is that alright?"

"Yeah." Truth was, she was pretty lonely by that point—and it was getting pretty hard to keep her eyes open with nothing but the sound and feel of the waves to keep her anchored in the waking world.

Lapiven walked up the beach and lay down on the sand beside Garnet. The sky was spread out in front of her like a vast tapestry, unpolluted by artificial light and free of any clouds that would block the display above. Countless stars of all colors and intensities were visible. Some flickered and flashed, a few shone with unwavering intensity, and others were nearly invisible unless you were to direct your gaze directly at them.

"What exactly am I looking for?" She asked impatiently.

"Well, what do you see?" Came Garnet's voice beside her.

"Stars—a whole lot of stars."

"How do they make you feel?"

"They make me feel... small." Her voice wavered and she swallowed. "Is this supposed to make me feel better?" She snapped.

"No, the stars aren't there to make you feel better," Garnet replied. "They won't solve your problems, and they can't give you the wings you want."

Lapiven bit her lip to stop its quivering.

"They're there to remind you that your problems, however big they seem now, are small. Small stumbles on a long, complicated journey."

A lone tear rolled down the side of Lapiven's upturned face. "So why can't I fly _now?"_

"Maybe the you _now_ can't, but I have confidence that someday—somehow—your two halves will figure it out; and on that day, you'll be more whole than ever." Garnet turned her head to the side. "Do you trust me, Steven?"

She turned her head to the side, where Steven and Lapis lay separated, side by side in the sand. His eyes were closed and he was snoring, fast asleep. Three in the morning _was_ well past his usual bedtime, Garnet noted with a smile. Lapis sat up slowly, all the while avoiding Garnet's gaze and clutching her arms in front of her defensively.

"Lapis," Garnet started. The blue Gem prepared herself for a lengthy rebuke, and stared down at the ground. "Steven didn't want to let go, did he?"

Lazuli looked up, her eyes wide. "...How did you?"

"I know a thing or two about Fusion—" She stood up and leaned over Steven, ruffling his hair. "—and I know a thing or two about Steven." She picked up the sleeping boy and hoisted him into her arms. "It's way past someone's bedtime. How about you two talk tomorrow?"

"O-of course," Lapis mumbled, and watched as Garnet carried Steven back up the slope to the temple.


	19. Chapter 19

With nowhere else to go while the others dealt with their petty interpersonal issues, Jasper had sequestered herself in Pearl's room. Not that she felt particularly at home there, but it was where she had woken up—and it was mercifully free of any histrionic Gems.

She stood on the largest of the floating discs in the room, examining the array of weaponry that was on display. Blades, clubs, maces, even a few primitive projectile weapons. A pearl who fought in war was unusual enough. A pearl who took _pride_ in it as a warrior was downright aberrant. Was it Rose Quartz's effect on her servant? The rogue commander had spawned a rebellion, after all. Turning a servile Pearl into a competent warrior wouldn't be beyond her capabilities. Still, the question remained: why bother? Why try to fit a square peg into a round hole?

Whatever the reason, Pearl seemed intent on enacting a similar transformation in Jasper. Whereas the servile Gem whose room she was in had been toughened and sharpened by Rose Quartz, Pearl wanted to smooth down Jasper's rough edges—make her more palatable, more _agreeable_. Ridiculous.

She was suspicious of her motives, but Jasper wasn't worried. Nothing could change what she was—what she had been since birth. Pearls were pliable tools made to respond to their master's wishes and desires, but Jasper was a honed instrument—an unbreakable soldier. The only danger in humoring her attempts was that Jasper's patience would run out before Pearl exhausted herself.

Jasper grasped one of the floating swords and swung it about in the air a few times, then frowned. There was no weight to it. It was a light, precise weapon more suited to the lithe and agile Pearl. If she wasn't using a Gem disruptor, the Quartz preferred her own heavy fists to any weapon.

The door opened and Pearl entered the room. "Do you like that? It's Italian." She looked upwards and tapped her chin as she walked towards Jasper. "Wait, no, it's Austrian. I took it off of an Italian, though."

"I don't know what those are," she grunted. "And I don't plan on learning."

Pearl hopped up onto the pad and approached Jasper, hands behind her back, eyes examining the Quartz for any indications of how she was reacting to the news Peridot had brought them. Was she outraged? Disappointed? Ambivalent? Pearl found it impossible to get a read on her. "Like it or not, you're stuck on Earth now." Jasper's mouth wrinkled with resigned acknowledgement. "Eventually you're going to have to give this planet a chance."

Jasper laughed. "Give what a chance? I don't have anything in common with the animals populating this rock." She tossed the sword at Pearl, who caught it deftly by the hilt. "There's _nothing_ for me here." With a heavy sigh she dropped onto the ground, shaking the platform slightly. Pearl was still surprised whenever the Quartz betrayed signs of any emotions besides bravado or anger. It was easy to forget that she wasn't just a soldier, and Pearl silently chastised herself for forgetting that fact—wasn't that _exactly_ what she was trying to convince Jasper of?

Pearl put the sword back and sighed. "It might sound petty of me, but in the back of my mind I always assumed that I'd be the first one Steven fused with." She quickly corrected herself. "Then he fused with his human friend Connie and I thought I'd be the first Gem he fused with. Apparently that wasn't in the cards, either."

Jasper could empathise, if only indirectly. Part of her had wanted to be the _last_ Gem Lapis Lazuli fused with, though she struggled to understand her own desires as much as those of Pearl. Was Jasper upset with Lapis' spurning of her because of the power it had taken away from her, or was there something else at the root of her disappointment?

"Why would you _want_ to fuse with that half-human?" Jasper asked. "He's not even strong."

"People _and_ Gems do things for reasons other than getting stronger, you know."

"Like what?"

Pearl reconsidered her words—maybe Jasper _didn't_ know that.

"Well..." She held up her hand and began tallying up the reasons on her fingers. "Like camaraderie, or friendship, or... love."

Jasper leaned away from Pearl. "You _love_ that boy?"

"No, no!" Pearl blushed and waved her hands, but the Quartz didn't look convinced. She took a deep breath and began to explain. "Back when Rose was, well, _Rose..._ we would fuse into Rainbow Quartz."

"Ah... to fight."

"No, not to _fight,_ " Pearl corrected her. "Well, _sometimes_ to fight—but that's not what I miss."

"Then what?"

Pearl thought for a moment. She had never put it into words before. "That feeling of being accepted. Showing someone all of you, and they accept you totally—even the ugly parts."

That wasn't anything close to what Jasper was expecting to hear. To her, Fusion was a constant battle for supremacy in a split mind. For as long as you were in control, the power of that Fusion was yours.

"Sounds... pointless," Jasper said, dismissively, before noticing Pearl's disappointed face. "Still, I would've liked to meet this Rainbow Quartz in battle. I'm sure she was... fierce," she added quickly.

"Oh, she was." Pearl kneaded her hands together and looked at the floor. "In any case, maybe you'll find another reason to fuse someday."

Jasper doubted it. She'd originally fused with Lapis Lazuli in desperation to fight the Crystal Gems. The second time, to escape the prison they'd stuck her in. Why would she fuse with someone now? To hunt down mindless and weak corrupted Gems? Pointless.

"Maybe." Pearl could hear the doubt in her voice, and Jasper made no attempt to hide it. She wouldn't directly insult the Pearl's impractical obsession with Fusion, but she wouldn't pretend to respect it—or understand it.

Pearl turned around and waved a hand at the weapons floating around them. They disappeared through the shimmering floor and she turned back to Jasper.

"For now, you should learn how to deal with corrupted Gems."

Jasper laughed. "What could _you_ teach _me?"_

"How to capture one without shattering it, for one thing."

Jasper scoffed. "Why?"

"Do you even realize why we're tracking them down?"

Jasper scratched her chest and thought for a moment. "I assumed it was for sport."

"For _sp_ — _"_ Pearl stopped and took a deep breath. "We are not hunting them for _sport._ We are capturing and bubbling them so that they can't hurt humans—or themselves. Someday, we might even be able to heal them."

Jasper's lip curled. "Those things are beyond saving."

"I know one boy who would disagree." She put her hands on her hips and stared down the orange Gem. "He seemed to believe _you_ weren't a lost cause, either. I hope he's right."

"Fine." Jasper felt her hand reaching up to touch the gem on her face, but she resisted the urge. "No shattering corrupted Gems."

Pearl smiled. "That's a good start."

A _start?_

"Next is teaching you how to fight—"

Jasper sneered contemptuously.

"—with _finesse._ Pounding Gems into a fine dust doesn't help them. You need to be able to fight with precision." Pearl looked the brawny soldier up and down—she wasn't sure that Jasper had the body _or_ the demeanor for such a thing, but Pearl had to at least try.

Jasper waved a hand dismissively. "Spar with me, and I'll show you that _i_ should be the one teaching _you."_

"Alright, deal." Pearl knelt down and reached into the ground, pulling out the rapier from earlier hilt-first. "I want you to use this."

Jasper eyed it with disdain. "Why would I want to use _that_ puny thing? I'll fight you with my bare hands," she said, cracking her knuckles.

"You might be able to beat me like that, but that's not the point of this, remember?" Pearl thrust the sword handle into Jasper's hands and she took it, holding the frail-looking weapon gingerly in her oversized grip.

"If you land just _one_ hit on me, I'll acknowledge you as the superior fighter."

Jasper couldn't help but feel that she was walking into a bad deal, but a single strike to win? Her pride wouldn't let her pass up a bet like that. She would use this ridiculous blade, beat the Pearl, and make her recognize Jasper as her better.

A toothy grin spread across Jasper's face, and she rose to her feet. "Deal."

* * *

The barn? Nope. The beach? Not there, either. The arcade? The car wash? No Lapis—no customers, either. Steven had been searching all morning, but he couldn't find the blue Gem anywhere. As he raced all over town and his exhaustion grew, so did the lump in his throat. Did she not want him to find her? That worry loomed large in his mind, and it made part of him hope that he _didn't_ find Lapis. If he went home now, without seeing her, he wouldn't have to deal with all of the awkward problems he'd created in their relationship. He could put it off for another day, and then...

Then _what,_ exactly? Time wouldn't change anything, only action would. He needed to talk to her and get these feelings off of his chest—and he would let her do the same. That's what was best, right? Getting it all out in the open air where it could be dealt with.

He was on his way back to the barn to talk to Peridot again in the hopes that the green Gem had seen Lapis sometime since he had last been there. As he passed the steel-topped grain silo, a bright reflection shone on his face, making him squint. Steven brought his hand up to shield his eyes when a cloud passed in front of the sun, allowing him to relax his gaze.

No, that wasn't a cloud—it was _water._ He could see a shimmering wing peaking out from the edge of the silo's roof, partially blocking the sun's rays.

"Lapis!" He shouted, cupping his hands.

The wing pulled back and was quickly replaced by a blue head. "Steven?" Came the distant reply.

"Hold on, I'm coming up!" His voice was hoarse from running all day, and he wasn't sure if she could hear him. He jogged around the silo to the ladder and began climbing. "Ouch," he hissed as his hands made contact with each hot metal rung. His arms were as tired as his legs by the time he reached the top.

"Lapis?" He said, looking around. He was alone on top of the silo. Had she flown away from him? Did she want to avoid him _that_ badly? He walked to the opposite side of the roof and carefully peered over the edge. Far below he could make out Lapis against the flowing green grass. She was glancing around frantically, turning every which way.

"I'm up here!" He shouted, drawing her attention. She looked up and held her arms out to her side, palms upward in the universal sign of _'What are we doing?'_

Still panting from exertion, Steven swallowed. "You stay there!" He shouted again, and went back to the ladder. By the time he was back on solid ground he was taking deep, ragged breaths. Lapis ran to him and he struggled to keep himself upright.

"Just... give me a moment..." he gasped, holding a hand up before leaning on his knees for support. He'd be damned if he was going to have gone through _that_ without saying what he'd come here to say.

"Lapis, I— "

"Steven—"

They spoke at the same time, and both went silent for a few moments. Each had plenty to say, but neither particularly wanted to speak first.

"Go ahead, Steven."

"I wanted to..." Steven cleared his throat and steadied his wavering voice. "I wanted to say sorry."

Lapis' folded her hands in front of her and remained quiet. Her silence worried Steven, but her patient expression told him that she wanted to let him finish saying his peace.

"I think it was my fault that we were so... messed up. You hadn't fused with anyone since Jasper, and you didn't want to fuse with me—" he swallowed and caught his breath before falling back into a stammer. "Then we _did_ end up fusing, but we couldn't do all of the things you should be able to do and..." He stopped gesturing and let his hands fall to his sides. "I got worried."

"Worried?" Lapis wondered.

"That you wouldn't want to fuse again, I think." He scratched his head. "It's hard to know what I'm thinking when I'm not me."

"Steven," Lapis said, and closed the gap between them. She took his hands in her own. "I promise that I won't fuse with anyone but you."

His eyes went wide. "You don't need to promise that!" He looked to the side and bit his lip. "And besides... I can't promise the same thing."

"I know," she replied resolutely.

Steven considered how to respond. "O-ok," he muttered. Her promise had made his heart skip a beat, but he couldn't help but feel as if she had laid a heavy burden on him.

"And it wasn't a disappointment," she added, equally firmly. "We couldn't fly, but... we'll figure that out."

Steven grinned and nodded in agreement. "So, you're not mad?"

Lapis looked at him in confusion. Hadn't she explained herself well enough? "About what?"

"About how... we took so long to unfuse." She just stared at him, and Steven grimaced. "Afterwards I couldn't stop thinking about how it might've reminded you of being trapped as Malachite."

Lapis' eyes went wide in realization. "No, not at all! That was awful, but it wasn't because of where I was—it was because of who I was with."

Steven exhaled a sigh of relief, and he felt as if a physical weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

"I can't feel trapped if I'm with you," she said, and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tightly, no longer afraid of whether he'd be able to let go.


	20. Chapter 20

This was the most at home Jasper had felt since she'd left Homeworld aboard Peridot's ship. She wasn't in the Crystal Gems' temple, of course.

No, where Jasper now stood was far older—and miles above the ground. An arena of Homeworld origin, left in ruins by the rebellion. Tiered seating encircled half of the platform, and a wide stairway in the center of the marble-slabbed benches led to the warp pad she had just come through. Above the stairway peak hovered four diamond-shaped stones cut in the symbol of the Diamond Authority's four colors. Only a few pink shards remained where the bottom most stone had once hovered, a permanent portrait of the moment they had been smashed by whatever uprising overran this place.

Behind her, the arena floor trailed off into the open sky as rocky debris, kept aloft by the same energy field still holding up what remained intact of the structure. Breaking up the flatness of the arena grounds were three pillars guarded by stylized depictions of the Diamonds. Looking at them in turn she recognized White Diamond, Yellow Diamond, and Blue Diamond. The fourth pillar had been destroyed along with the portion of the platform it had stood on. At the edge of the arena was a pair of stone legs that must have once belonged to Pink Diamond. Anger surged through Jasper. Could the rebels have left _nothing_ of her?

"Humans really got a kick out of this place when we showed it to them." Pearl was circling the edge of the arena, giving Jasper time to take it all in. "They started building copies everywhere. They'd put on plays in them, sing in them... I think they even had people fight to the death in some of them. We tried to put a stop to that, but there's only so much one can do."

Jasper was sure that whatever imitations the humans had concocted failed to live up to the original, even in its current condition. She had fought in an arena much like this one shortly after emerging from her kindergarten, before quickly demonstrating her fighting prowess and being shipped off to the frontlines to fight the burgeoning rebellion. Then, as quickly as it had begun, the war had ended. Her diamond shattered while Jasper was continents away, only to be called back to Homeworld to languish for millennia in ossifying 'peace'. She had jumped at the chance to escort Peridot to earth, regardless of how trivial the mission goals were. Somehow, her situation had become even _worse_ with that decision. Yes, she had fought the Crystal Gems—beaten them, even—but Rose Quartz was gone. Revenge was lost to her, growing more distant with each passing moment as that long-ago war faded into the mists of time.

 _Was_ it truly lost, though? Jasper recalled the information Nephrite had threatened the Homeworld emissary with. It was suspect at best, but it had been enough to break Magnetite's composure—and that, combined with seeing Lapis Lazuli trapped in a cage, had been enough for Jasper to make a rebel of herself. Could the other Diamonds have shattered _her_ Diamond? It was unthinkable, but if it were true, it would mean that Jasper's treasonous actions had meant something, and that revenge was not lost to her.

"Let's get this over with." Jasper turned back to face the stairwell and the approaching Pearl, whose hands were conspicuously empty. "Where's your weapon?"

" _You_ have to use a sword," she replied. "I thought it'd only be fair if I had to use my fists." She raised her clenched hands and assumed a fighting stance.

Jasper suppressed a smile. "You'll never beat me like _that."_

"Then this should be no problem for you," Pearl replied, equally amused.

The Orange Gem shrugged and pointed the sword in her hand at Pearl, leaving only a few feet of space between the blade and the smaller Gem. Pearl didn't react, and she was no longer looking Jasper in the face. Her eyes flickered to and from each of the Quartz's limbs, watching for any sign of imminent movement that would tell Pearl when and where Jasper would strike.

Wanting to test Pearl's reflexes, Jasper lunged forward, her right foot stomping on the hard stone as she thrust cold steel towards her opponent's chest. Pearl slid to the side silently, with an economy of movement that made Jasper look like even more of a lumbering brute in comparison. Her fist shot out in a quick jab, landing smack in the side of Jasper's upper arm. Pearl hopped back, once again placing herself just out of Jasper's reach.

The Quartz laughed. "Was that supposed to hurt?" She had barely even felt it.

Pearl smirked. "At least _my_ hit landed."

Jasper narrowed her eyes and brought the sword around to the other side of her head in preparation for a powerful swing. She launched herself at Pearl with frightening speed—a speed that may have overcome Pearl's defenses, if she had tried to move out of the way, but she didn't. Seeing exactly what Jasper had planned when she cocked her arm back, Pearl herself ran at Jasper and slid under the blade as it swung over her, skidding on the ground between the Quartz's tree-trunk legs. While Jasper staggered to a clumsy stop and tried to figure out what had just happened, Pearl struck her several times in the lower back. The larger Gem staggered forward—more out of surprise than any real pain—and swiped her sword wildly behind her. Pearl had seen that coming, too, and had already moved a safe distance away.

"Very clever," Jasper grumbled.

Pearl beamed with self-satisfaction and shrugged. "I try."

Still off-balance from her opponent's unnervingly fast reflexes and quick thinking, Jasper took a moment to stay back and reassess her strategy. Pearl, on the other hand, was determined not to give her the opportunity. She dashed on light feet at the Quartz, who assumed a closed-up defensive stance with her arms held high in front of her—she wasn't going to give Pearl any more easy openings.

That, too, Pearl had seen coming. She stopped in front of Jasper and crouched down under her raised elbows, then used her legs to push upwards with the spring-loaded force of a ballet dancer. Her palms pushed on Jasper's elbows, and the metal hilt of the sword in her hand struck her square in her own gem. Her use of the blade had been ineffectual up until that point, but now it might as well have well been wielded by Pearl herself.

She stumbled back and lowered her body downward while she brought her hand up to her face, instinctively minimizing her profile as she became more and more wary of her opponent. Between her fingers and with blurry vision she could just barely make out Pearl only a few feet in front of her.

Now _she_ had made a mistake, Jasper mused. The Orange Gem twisted at the hips, driving the sword in her right hand as far forward as it would reach while her left hand remained on her face. The steel tip met its mark, striking Pearl square in her chest. It was a shallow wound, barely more than the tip of the blade—she might not even have to retreat into her Gem—but a 'touch' was all Jasper needed.

"Ha! Got—" Jasper's hand fell away from her face. "—you?"

"Match, set! Challenger wins! Do you wish to battle again?" It certainly looked like Pearl, but it definitely was _not_ Pearl. The figure her sword was buried in was a holographic image of the servant Gem, with red eyes and a squawking, robotic voice. It waited silently for Jasper's answer, but the bewildered Gem was busy looking for the real Pearl.

"Sorry, but that doesn't count," Pearl said. She stood a dozen feet behind the imposter, off to the side a bit. Past her, Jasper could see the broken remains of Pink Diamond's statue. She was almost glad her visage had been wiped from this place. It'd be too much to bear for her to see Jasper, a Quartz, embarrassed by a lowly Pearl.

Jasper's face became twisted up in anger and every muscle in her body tensed as her nostrils flared and her breathing quickened. Was she really going to let this _Pearl_ beat her in the arena?

 _No!_

She pushed off of the ground, going from a kneeling position to a full run faster than the eye could see. Pearl hadn't seen it coming, either, and she looked genuinely frightened by the beast hurtling towards her. Jasper grinned— _that_ was the face she wanted to see, she thought, as she passed through the holographic Pearl that flickered into non-existence with the real one no longer capable of focusing on maintaining it.

She bore down on Pearl, sword pointed forward, more like a jouster than a swordsman. Still, Jasper had tried the 'proper' way already—now she'd do it _her_ way. Jasper felt the slightest bit of resistance as the blade collided with Pearl, who had begun to move to the side. At first she thought she'd landed a hit, until she began to slow to a stop and saw Pearl's teal sash caught on the tip of the rapier. While Jasper mused over whether or not that would count, she failed to consider how much time it was taking her to come to a stop after her lunge. The cobbled floor of the arena had seen little action in millennia, and was covered with a fine layer of dust that had Jasper sliding along the stone below her. She looked up from her sword and her faint smile quickly turned to a worried frown as she saw the open horizon approaching over the edge of the shattered arena.

"Stop!" Pearl yelled from behind her. It seemed almost comical to Jasper, as her speed and immense size carried her the rest of the way over the edge. Her stomach lurched as she lost her footing and her free hand shot out, gripping for anything solid. Fingers found stone and dug into the top of one of the broken slabs lining the edge of the precipice. She didn't relish the idea of falling from this height, but she was a Quartz. She wouldn't be scared by something like—

Jasper's mind stopped in its tracks when she looked down. Clouds floated below her, so far away. The ground—or water—even further still. She grew dizzy and the clouds seemed to shoot up close to her before dropping back down, then again as her vision grew hazy. Why was this happening? She shouldn't be scared of a little... fall...

Close to losing consciousness completely, her fingers weakened—and they didn't have to weaken much, not when those four digits were the only things keeping the huge Gem attached to the arena. She began to fall again, but this time she felt nothing in her stomach—only the total lack of anything anchoring her, of anything to hold onto. Her body jerked to a stop a split second after she had begun her descent. She didn't know why—not until she heard a grunt from above her and became aware of the hand wrapped partway around her wrist.

Pearl shouted above her, but Jasper failed to make out the words. The smaller Gem yelled in exertion as her right hand dug into the grooves between two bricks and the left held onto Jasper's insensate form. She rocked from side to side on her back, building momentum until she gained enough to pull Jasper up with her left arm while, at the same time, rolling onto her side to drag the orange Gem partway on top of her.

Jasper still dangled partway over the edge, and Pearl couldn't pull her all of the way up by herself.

"Hey!" She yelled. "Wake up!"

Jasper's eyes fluttered before finally shooting open. Sword in hand, she scrambled over Pearl, desperate to get away from that fearsome drop as fast as possible. Still on all fours, she panted and stared at the ground while she debated whether or not to kiss it.

"What was that?" Pearl gasped, struggling to her feet hardly any faster than Jasper.

Jasper hurriedly composed herself as best she could and stood up, then turned around to face Pearl. "I—"

What was she going to say? That she was afraid of heights? She didn't quite know _what_ that was—not yet—but she didn't want to reveal her vulnerabilities so readily. "You win," she stated, hoping that would be the end of it. Maybe she wouldn't push further if Jasper conceded that much.

Hands behind her back, Pearl raised an eyebrow at Jasper before leaning over to inspect the sash stuck to the end of the blade in the Quartz's hand. After a moment she reached out and plucked it off, then tied it loosely around her waist.

"Yes, I believe I _did_ win," she announced. "I _also_ saved your life."

Jasper scoffed. "I could have survived hitting the ground from here." She eyed Pearl confidently—the smaller Gem was clutching the arm she had pulled Jasper up with, clearly the worse for wear. "I probably wouldn't have even had to reform," Jasper bragged. It was true—she could count on one hand the number of times she had been forced to retreat into her Gem.

"Forget hitting the ground, you looked like you were about to die just from the fall!" Pearl retorted.

Jasper turned away and busied herself inspecting her weapon. "That was nothing."

"Well I'm glad," Pearl said, sarcastically. "But _some_ of us aren't quite that strong."

Jasper should have relished Pearl admitting that, but somehow her words stung a little. Did she expect Jasper to feel guilty over Pearl having to help her? Were the Crystal Gems going to hold every little favor over her head?

"So for now," Pearl continued, "You'll have to carry me. I'll be back when I have _two_ working arms."

"What are you talking—" Jasper turned back to Pearl and was met with the clinking noise of the latter's gemstone falling to the ground. She let it come to a stop, then waited several moments more.

"Get back here!" She shouted. "Right now!"

Nothing.

She kneeled in front of the gem and leaned over it, palms flat against the stone on either side of the small stone. "What am I supposed to tell the other Crystal Gems? Or that _human?"_

Silence.

'Steven,' the others had called him. Jasper didn't like saying his name. It was a simple thing to do, but somehow she felt that doing so lowered her down to their level—the humans' level. Last time she had been on Earth, they were primitive animals, mere background noise in a war with a scope and meaning they could never understand. Now they had cities, technology, even primitive space travel—but they were still animals.

Jasper picked up the stone. It felt strange to hold Pearl in her hand like that. She'd been Jasper's enemy, and a few weeks ago she would have crushed the gem with no hesitation. Now, she held the stone delicately in her palm, with no malicious thought save some annoyance at the Pearl for putting Jasper in this situation. She hadn't known Pearl long, but long enough to guess at how she would address Jasper's concerns.

 _"That's great! Not wanting to grind Gems into a fine dust is good!"_

'Good' was performing the task you were born to perform, and doing so well. A Quartz was a soldier, born and raised. What was Jasper if not what she was born to be, and then made to be? What else was there? She had already rebelled against Homeworld with her actions, but now she felt herself being pushed down a path where she was told to rebel against her own self.

For a warrior like Jasper, that was scarier than any physical threat.


	21. Chapter 21

Peridot stood at the top of the stairs to Steven's room, one hand clutched to her chest and the other outstretched, as if to block out the startling sight before her.

"Steven, what did you _do?"_ She gasped.

Steven, who sat on the edge of his bed next to Connie as both watched TV, gave her a perplexed look. Had he done something? An equally confused Connie leaned past Steven to look at the green Gem. In Connie's hands was a bundle of white cloth, the unmistakable face of a human infant poking out from the snugly-wrapped swaddle.

"Me?" He asked, pointing at himself. There weren't any other Stevens within shouting distance, but he couldn't imagine what he'd done to get Peridot so worked up. "Did I do something?"

"Wha—yes!"

Connie glanced around until her eyes fell on the TV and the afternoon cartoon it was playing.

"Was the TV too loud?" She stood up and made for the remote balanced on top of the television, but slipped on the blanket between her and the slick wood floor.

Peridot watched, time seeming to slow down, as the child in her grasp flew out of her arms and Connie fell face-first towards the floor.

"The baby!" Peridot shouted, running as fast as her stubby legs would carry her. What she wouldn't give for her limb enhancers at a time like this!

She dove forward, giving one last push off of the ground and extending her arms outward, praying that she hadn't misjudged the distance. Her chest met the hard wood of the loft floor and the air was knocked out of her. A split-second later, she felt the swaddled baby land safely in her outstretched palms.

"...Are you alright?" Connie asked, having seen the scene unfold a mere two feet from her face. She stood up, straightening her rumpled blouse.

"I'm fine!" She stressed, rolling back into a kneeling position. "You should be more concerned about your _baby!"_ She held the infant out to Connie for emphasis, a little wary of handing it over to the human after the carelessness she had just witnessed.

Steven and Connie exchanged a brief glance, and smiles flashed across both of their faces.

"You know that isn't a real baby, right?" Connie asked, pointing at it.

Peridot brought it back to her face and looked down. A plastic face met her gaze, lifeless doll eyes giving no hint of thanks for Peridot's graceful save.

The embarrassed Gem put on a stony face and rose to her feet, then cleared her throat. "Of course. I just didn't want you to break your... toy." She handed the doll back to Connie, who looked just as mortified as Peridot for having played a part in the misunderstanding.

"It's not a toy," Steven corrected her. "It's for school. Right, Connie?"

She nodded and sat back down on the bed. "We have to carry these around for a week to see what raising a child is like. You have to keep it an eye on it at _all times_ or else—"

A sharp, robotic cry came from the doll. Peridot and Steven winced, the latter leaning away from Connie on the bed as she sighed and flipped over the shrieking infant and twisted a dial on the back until she heard a click. The crying stopped and Connie chewed on her lip angrily.

"—or else it does _that."_

Still reeling from the awful wailing that echoed in her ears, Peridot moved to snatch the doll from Connie. "Don't worry, there's a solution for that! Lapis can stash it on Earth's moon until it's due back at school!"

Connie shifted back from the manic Gem, holding the bundle away from Peridot's small, grasping hands.

"My teacher will check these when she gets them back," she explained, and Peridot retreated. "I get points taken off of my final grade if I let the crying go on for too long."

"I see..." Peridot looked at the doll thoughtfully. "And this is supposed to be _fun?"_

Connie let out a short laugh. "No, it's supposed to teach us about responsibility and being diligent—"

The crying started up again, and a beleaguered Connie repeated the process of twisting the dial on the doll's back. "—Or maybe it's supposed to teach us to _never_ have a baby."

"I can't take this anymore!" She turned to Steven, dark circles visible under her eyes. "It's _your_ turn to watch the baby. I can't be the only one doing it!" She thrust the bundle into his hands, and he took it reluctantly.

"But it's _your_ homework..." he objected softly as Connie stood up. She shot him a fiery look and he went silent, letting her resume her walk down the stairs away from his bedroom.

Steven stared at the doll in his hands with a look of distaste that gradually turned contemplative, and he hummed a thoughtful _'hmm'_ to himself.

Peridot looked at him with surprise. "Don't tell me that _this_ is what's going to make you want to go to school."

"No, but it _does_ give me an idea..."

* * *

 ** _The next day..._**

 _No one's here._

Gem in hand, Jasper had milled about the arena for some time, hoping that Pearl would reform quickly. In case she didn't, Jasper was also thinking up succinct ways to explain the recovering Gem's... _situation_ to the others. She didn't want the Crystal Gems leaping into battle as soon as they saw her holding their fallen comrade. Eventually she grew tired of waiting and had used the crumbling arena's warp pad to return to their temple on the surface. All of her preparation had been for naught, it seemed, because she couldn't find them anywhere. The typically noisy home was empty, and she couldn't spot them on the beach below, either.

Somewhat relieved, she sat down on a bar stool and set the gem down on the kitchen counter in front of her. It was quiet—a nice change of pace from the usual chaos of the Crystal Gems' home. Jasper reminded herself that this was _their_ home, not hers—and it never would be. At best, it was a temporary stop on whatever journey she had found herself on. At worst it was a prison, forced internment with her former sworn enemies.

Jasper slammed her fists down on the counter, and Pearl's gem shook before becoming still again. "Wake up!" She shouted, growing impatient. Spending this much time recovering from such a small injury? It was absurd. She couldn't believe that _this_ was the Gem who had made such a fool out of her in the arena. Apparently the Pearl was something of a glass cannon. Not surprising—her kind weren't made to fight, after all. This was what happened when beings went against their nature. They made themselves vulnerable, and they paid the price.

She pushed the stool away from the counter and stood up, leaving the gem on the kitchen counter as she walked towards the front door of the temple. "I'm leaving now," she announced to no one in particular—Pearl certainly wasn't listening—and opened the front door. If she were stuck on Earth, she should at least scout out the surrounding area. She'd been on the planet for quite awhile, now that she thought about it, but still knew very little about it. It had obviously changed a lot in the time since the Rebellion; humans seemed to be the ones behind that.

Casting a glance back at the gem as she stood in the doorway, Jasper stopped. Was it alright to leave Pearl here?

 _Never leave a soldier behind_ —she had had that drilled into her from her conception.

She shook her head. Pearl wasn't a comrade.

 _Take no prisoners_ —another concept she'd had instilled in her shortly after emerging from the granite cliff face of her kindergarten. More appropriate, perhaps, since Pearl was closer to an enemy than an ally. For a brief time aboard the Homeworld ship she may have been a temporary compatriot, but that was over. Jasper and the Crystal Gems stood solidly on opposite sides of an unbridgeable divide that neither could cross.

 _Still..._

Pearl _had_ saved her from falling in the arena. Jasper disliked feeling indebted, but she _hated_ feeling as if she were willfully ignoring a debt she'd already incurred. Scowling, she stomped back to the kitchen and picked up Pearl's gem, then swiftly left the temple. She would watch over the convalescent Gem until she had recovered, and then they'd be even.

Then Jasper would leave.

The further Jasper got from the temple and the closer Beach City grew, the more people she saw. She walked along the beach, drawing quite a few stares. The humans living here should have been used to seeing her kind, but they had never seen a Gem like _her_ —only that rag-tag group of misfit Gems that lowered themselves to living among these creatures. Even the Crystal Gems' own Quartz was a pitiful runt of an Amethyst.

Ahead of Jasper was gathered a small group. A boy, lanky and tan with a head of foppish orange hair, was grinning and chatting up three older girls. Two of them were hiding behind their friend, who was clearly looking for some way to escape the conversation she'd been drawn into. The boy stretched his arms upwards and then brought his elbows down parallel with his ears, flexing his puny biceps. The three girls looked at each other for a moment, then burst out laughing. The boy let his arms dropped and sulked, having had all of the bravado sucked out of him.

The eyes of one of the girls fell on Jasper and she did a doubletake before grabbing her friends by the shoulders and shaking them furiously. They looked around to see what had gotten her so worked up, then saw the huge orange Gem marching through the sand past them. They squealed and ran towards Jasper, who stopped and turned to face them.

"Oh my gawd! Are you like, a Crystal Gem?" One of them asked, the bracelets around her wrists rattling as she shook her hands with unbridled excitement.

"Yeah, we heard they live here—real live _aliens!"_ The tallest of the three added, leaning on her friend's shoulders from behind her. The third girl, a mousy-looking thing with straight-cut black bangs, just gawked silently. These humans spoke differently from Steven and the Crystal Gems—Jasper could barely keep up with their rapid-fire chatter.

" _No,_ I'm not a Crystal Gem." Jasper's to-the-point explanation trailed off when she saw the shirtless boy running towards her, feet moving slowly on the soft sand.

"Whoa whoa, I was talking to them first!" He slid to a stop between Jasper and the trio of girls, arms spread wide.

"And?" Jasper asked pointedly.

"Well... uh..." He summoned what little confidence he had left and put his fists on the sides of his hips, chest puffed out. "Youll have to go through _Lars_ to get to these babes, alien!"

An ominous laugh emanated from deep within Jasper's abdomen. She leaned over, her face inches from Lars'. "You've got guts, human." Her face turned serious and what was once a faint smile turned into a scowl that revealed her razor-sharp incisors. "But don't push your luck," she whispered, just softly and deeply enough that the girls behind him couldn't hear her. Their heads peeked out from behind Lars, straining to see what was making the boy shake like a leaf. He swallowed, unable to blink or otherwise tear his eyes away from that terrible predatory stare. With Jasper's white mane of hair framing her striped orange face, he couldn't help but feel like a gazelle being sized up by a hungry lion.

Finally he was able to will his rigid muscles to relax, stumbling backwards before regaining some degree of composure.

"W-well I'll be going," he stammered, his eyes darting around nervously, desperately avoiding Jasper's gaze. "This beach is lame, anyway." He backed away further before turning around and walking away, shoulders hunched as he kicked at the sand with each step. Jasper hardly paid him any attention, far more amused than threatened by the human's impotent posturing. With that distraction gone, Jasper began to continue down the beach, but was stopped by the gaggle of thankful girls moving to block her path.

"Wait! At least take a picture with us," the one with the bracelets begged, hands clasped together, but the Gem walked around them. Behind her she could hear disappointed groans and sighs.

"Hey, look at this," one of them said. Jasper was thankful that humans' attention spans seemed to be as short as their brief lives.

"What is that? Glass?"

"No, it's all cloudy." She held the egg-sized stone in her hand up to the sky, seeing if it let through any light. "A pearl, maybe? But it's _way_ too big for that." The girls gasped in awe at their find, and a startled Jasper stopped dead in her tracks and patted the sides of her pants, concern turning to panic when her hands came up empty. She whirled about to see the three crowded around Pearl's gem in the cupped hands of the tallest girl.

"Don't touch that!" Jasper shouted, making them jump.

"Why? It's not _dangerous."_

"That's mine, I dropped it." Marching towards the girl, she reached for the gem and the girl backed away, clutching it to her chest protectively.

"Pfft... likely story."

Jasper went to grab her by the wrist, but she threw the gem to her friend before Jasper's hand could restrain her lanky arm.

Her friend jumped up and caught the pearl, her bracelets clicking together as she landed back on the ground.

"That's a gem you're tossing around!" Jasper shouted at her, still holding onto her friend.

"Well, yeah," the girl replied at Jasper's obvious statement. "That's why you want it, right? It's like, worth a lot of money."

"No, I mean it's a _Gem,"_ she repeated, slapping her chest with her free hand. "Like _me!"_

The human looked at her in confusion for a moment before glancing down at the Pearl in her hands and letting her jaw fall open.

"Eww!" She squealed, dropping it to the ground and wiping her hands on her chubby thighs. "Is it dead? Is that why it doesn't look like you?"

Jasper released the tall girl and walked over to where the pearl lay in the sand, eyeing the one who had dropped it with no small amount of hostility.

"She isn't dead. Just injured." She picked it up and brushed off the grains of sand clinging to the opaque ivory orb. "And I'm sure you tossing her around isn't helping."

"Sorry..." The girl muttered, grimacing. The human trio exchanged guilty glances and looked back to Jasper with sympathetic eyes.

"Is that why you're carrying her around? You're taking her to a hospital?"

Jasper snorted. "I doubt your medical centers are capable of doing anything for her. They might be able to sew _you_ meatbags back together." She looked one of the humans up and down. "But Gems are nothing like humans." She rubbed the Pearl between two of her fingers. "Either she recovers on her own, or she doesn't."

Staring at the gem in Jasper's hand, the quiet girl nodded thoughtfully. "They say that about dogs, too. Our dog Ajax got sick and crawled into a hole in the woods. My uncle said that he'd either get better and come out, or... He wouldn't."

The group waited expectantly until Bracelets broke the tension. "Well, did he?"

Bangs looked at her before shaking her head. "Oh, no."

The tall one shot the two a disapproving glance and the other two looked at Jasper before bowing their heads in embarrassment.

Jasper rolled her eyes. "She's not _dying."_

"Still, maybe you should try taking her to a hospital."

"I already told you, Gems—"

The tall girl shook her head. "I bet they can help your friend! When's the last time you've been in a hospital?"

Jasper chewed her lip and looked up thoughtfully. "I've only been on Earth a few weeks. The last time I was here was over 5000 years ago."

"Exactly! That was back when like, knights were fighting dragons. They've got all kinds of new technology now."

Bracelets nodded. "She's totally right."

"Where is this hospital?" Jasper asked. It was worth a try. At the very least, she would be able to amuse herself with the pitiful advancements humanity had undoubtedly contented itself with. At worst, she would waste some time—and she had no shortage of that anyway.

* * *

"She's _still_ talking to them." Amethyst ducked down, settling back into her hiding place. She and Steven stood behind a rock on the edge of the beach, trailing Jasper at a safe distance. Garnet crouched beside them, having a harder time minimizing her profile than the diminutive pair she was accompanying.

"Is she doing anything, you know, _suspicious_?" Steven probed her.

"For a second there I thought she was going to punch one of them. Those girls were tossing Pearl around." Amethyst laughed. "But nope, just... chatting."

Garnet put a hand on Steven's shoulder. "Pearl would reform if Jasper were to get out of hand."

"Yeah, I know..." He just couldn't believe that Jasper was capable of acting like a normal... well, not a normal _person_ —a not-terrible Gem. He should be glad that she seemed to be watching out for Pearl, right? Except deep down, he didn't _want_ her to turn out to be good. He wanted his dislike of her to be vindicated. He wanted to be proven right.

Steven knew that was wrong, but those feelings kept bubbling up no matter how hard he tried to put a lid on them.

He twiddled his thumbs together. "Do you think people can change, Garnet?"

She didn't have to guess at his meaning. "Of course, Steven. They just usually don't—and the older they get, the bigger a reason they need to change."

"So if someone is thousands of years old..."

"It'd have to be an awfully good reason."

Amethyst wasn't much for deep conversations, and quickly lost interest in listening to the two wax philosophical. She stood on her toes and turned around to peek back over the rock at Jasper.

"Uhh, guys?" She's gone."

* * *

The emergency care center was mostly empty when Jasper entered. It was still too early in beach season for the usual slew of concussion-addled surfers, and the waiting area was occupied by only a few people scattered among the rows of padded chairs between the double-door entrance and the reception desk. Jasper scrutinized the seated humans as she walked by them. One woman held an ice pack to her nose, head tilted back in her seat. A few people nursed bruises and contusions, and one sniffling man at the edge of the aisle Jasper was walking down sneezed on her arm, apologizing profusely when he saw the towering alien he had just inadvertently covered in Earth germs. Jasper wiped her forearm on her pants in disgust and continued to the reception desk where a nurse sat waiting. The approaching foot steps caused her to look up and she jolted upright when she saw the Gem.

"C-can I help you?"

Jasper placed her hand on the desk and lifted it back up, leaving Pearl's gem sitting in front of the nurse. "I want you to fix this Gem."

"Uhh..." The woman looked back and forth between Jasper and the large pearl. She had bragged to her friends that working in an ER for years had made her able to deal with _anyone,_ no matter how drunk or mentally unstable, but this was something else entirely. "This is a hospital. I think you want a jeweler." She poked at the pearl with the pen in her hand—it _looked_ fine.

"It's not a _jewel._ That's one of the Crystal Gems." Jasper cupped her hand over the gem and leaned over the desk to whisper to the woman. "She's a weakling, and she injured herself."

She leaned back and waved a hand at the woman. "So get to work. Do... whatever it is you're capable of doing on this backwater planet."

The nurse stared at the gem in front of her in shock. "We can't do anything for her here! She's an alien! Not to mention, a _rock_ — _"_

Expression unchanging, Jasper reached behind her back while the woman was talking and pulled out a golden baton with two metal prongs running along the side. The woman stopped talking and stared at it warily, jumping when Jasper squeezed the baton's grip and sent a surge of electrical current between the parallel prongs.

Eyes wide, the nurse fell back into her chair and scrambled for the phone, keeping her eyes on the weapon in Jasper's hand. She dialed a number, and after a few seconds a voice greeted her on the other end.

"Dr. Maheswaran? Yes, I have a... _woman_ here. She has a wounded... gemstone? One of the Crystal Gems!" She was growing frantic, and she ducked her head under the desk. "Can you please just get down here?" She hissed, sitting back up and hanging up the phone before folding her hands and feigning a pleasant smile.

"Please have a seat, the doctor will be right with you." She gestured to the seating area, her hand shaking as much as her voice.

Jasper cocked her head back to look at the human flotsam nursing their petty wounds. "I'm not going to wait like one of these _animals._ Where's the doctor?"

The woman swallowed. With a wobbly hand she pointed at a hallway to her left. Normally she would have felt bad about pawning off an unruly patient on the rest of the hospital staff, but the enormous orange Quartz looming over her had quashed all such concerns. Jasper looked to where the woman was pointing and followed her directions, disappearing down the hallway. The woman exhaled in relief, then picked up the phone again. She had another call to make.

* * *

The nurse wasn't the only one having a difficult day. Elsewhere, Steven, Amethyst, and Garnet were busy trying to locate the Quartz that had slipped free of their surveillance. All three Crystal Gems converged on the boardwalk, having split up a short time earlier to cover more ground in their search.

"How could we lose _her?"_ Amethyst wondered. "She doesn't exactly blend in." Garnet just shrugged in response.

Steven looked at Garnet. "Can't you, you know, see where she's likely to end up in the future?"

"At the temple," Garnet replied.

Steven wrinkled his brow. "But I just checked there..."

"I know. She'll be there later, but she's not there now."

"So we still have to find her without magic future powers."

"Yup."

Steven sighed and hung his arms in front of him exhaustedly, but straightened back up when the phone in his pocket rang. He slipped it out of his pants, giving the caller ID a quick look before answering. "Connie? Sorry, I'm kind of busy now—"

"This can't wait!" She cut him off, her voice urgent.

"What's going on? Did something happen?"

"Nothing happened, not yet anyway. I was at the hospital waiting for my mom to finish work, and this Gem came in..."

"A corrupted Gem?" Steven asked, the night they'd spent in the hospital fighting the forced fusions still fresh in his memory.

"I don't think so. She's looks almost like a person, like the Crystal Gems, but she's _really_ big."

Connie continued in her description of the Gem, and realization soon dawned on his face.

"That's her!" He exclaimed.

"Who?"

"Jasp—I'll explain when I get there! I'm not far away."

"A-alright—"

 _*beep*_

Steven hung up before she could finish, putting the cellphone back in his pocket and breaking into a steady jog in the direction of the hospital.

"Come on, I know where she is!" He beckoned the other two Gems forward, and they followed.

* * *

In her capacity as a doctor, Mrs. Maheswaran prided herself on two things: her ability to help any patient no matter how dire the situation, and her impeccable bedside manner. Both were being called into question at that moment.

Jasper had found her in the hospital's operating theater, where the good doctor and her assistant were busy putting the room back in order after its use a short time earlier—a routine appendectomy. The universe seemed to have decided that her day had gone too smoothly, as it had seen fit to send an imposing orange alien barging into the room, who then proceeded to put a gemstone down on the operating table and demand that she help 'her'.

After quite a bit of confusion and probing questions, she had managed to suss out that the luminescent sphere was actually Pearl. Not just _a_ pearl, but the Steven Universe boy's... mother? Aunt? Guardian? She didn't know, really—she had given up trying to figure out the bizarre dynamics of that household and simply accepted that they were good people.

Well, not _people._

"Do your work, doctor." Jasper demanded, pointing down at the gem on the operating table.

She looked down at the pearl, then back to the clipboard in her hand. She flipped through the pages nervously, stalling for time while she considered her options. She took a deep breath and adopted as commanding a front she could in the presence of the Gem staring her down. She was still a doctor, damn it!

"What seems to be the problem with her?"

Jasper frowned. "That's what you're supposed to figure out."

Priyanka leaned over and spun the pearl around, inspecting it. "I need some idea of what's wrong with her before I can make a diagnosis."

"She got herself _injured_ and now she won't reform," Jasper grumbled. She seemed to be talking to the gem on the table more than the human standing before her.

"And this is... unusual for her?"

"Of course it's unusual!" Jasper sneered, flashing her white teeth. "Are you _sure_ you're a doctor?"

Priyanka gulped and examined the pearl with renewed urgency—she really wanted to get out of this with all of her limbs intact.

* * *

The Crystal Gems reached the hospital, and were quickly struck by the number of emergency vehicles parked near the building, lights flashing. Not just ambulances, either—police cruisers and what looked to be a SWAT van were positioned in front of the entrance. Uniformed officers milled about, nervously fingering their holstered weapons and casting headlong glances at the glass doors.

"What's going on?" Steven gasped. Garnet looked around, and her eyes settled on a mustached man near the SWAT van. He wore a ballcap and bulletproof vest, and in his hand held a megaphone.

"He looks in charge," she said, pointing at the man. The three approached him, avoiding the officers and camera crews who were rapidly growing in number as more vehicles arrived.

The man held the megaphone up and faced the hospital. "This doesn't have to end in violence!" He barked, stopping and lowering the device when he saw the Gems approaching him.

"Whoa, stop right there! Last thing I need is more of you types on my hands."

Amethyst crossed her arms. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"You know, rocks! Aliens! We've got a bloodthirsty Gem in there, and she's got hostages." His eyes were wild, and he seemed to be right at home in the nexus of panicked energy that imbued the hectic scene outside of the hospital. "Unless we can get a handle on things soon, we're going to have to go in _hard._ Could be a bloodbath, but these things go down the way they go down." He sighed resignedly and turned around.

Garnet grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him back to face her. "Wouldn't it be wiser to _wait_ and try to make contact with her?"

The man was silent for a moment, and his expression grew melancholy. "My boys were really looking forward to using that teargas."

She sighed. "Steven, I'm sure everyone is—Steven?" Garnet looked around, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Amethyst, where did Steven go?"

"Oh, he ran inside while you were talking."

Garnet massaged the bridge of her nose with her fingers. "And you didn't think that you should tell us or try to stop him?"

Amethyst shrugged and pointed at the man Garnet still held by the collar. "I thought we were distracting this guy so Steven could slip in."

* * *

Steven made his way through the hospital, which had completely emptied out in the wake of the police presence. The waiting area and reception desk sat empty, and he ran through a half dozen corridors before he found another human being—Connie. She was standing on her toes in front of a door, peering through the window intently.

"Connie! Are you ok?"

She jumped and turned to face him. "Steven! You scared me. Why wouldn't I be ok?"

He slid to a stop and studied her. "Your phone call... and the cops outside, it's crazy out there!"

She gawked at him. "Cops? What cops?"

"They said that a Gem is holding people hostage in here! They're getting ready to come in."

"What? No!" Connie shook her head. "She's just talking with my mom." She pointed at the door and Steven put his face beside hers to look through the small window. Inside, Mrs. Maheswaran was studying Pearl's gem on an operating table while Jasper circled around the room, stopping occasionally to tap her foot impatiently.

Steven swung open the door and the doctor turned to look at him. "Steven?" She said, surprise turning to relief. "Please tell this... _woman_ that I can't possibly operate on an inanimate gemstone."

"Pearl! You need to come out now!" He shouted, ignoring Connie's mother. The stone shone bright, the luminescence effervescence gradually taking a human shape that dimmed and solidified into Pearl, who sat on the edge of the operating table.

"What's wrong?" She hopped off and looked at the boy with concern.

Jasper groaned. " _Finally._ "

"Things got way out of hand," he wheezed, still a bit out of breath from the hustle he had put on trying to find someone in the labyrinthine halls of the hospital. He was worried about how much time he'd used up looking for the two of them. "There's cops waiting outside and they think Jasper is holding Connie's mom hostage!"

That was news to all three adults. Jasper snorted in amusement, while the other two reacted with more a more appropriate degree of shock.

"This could get ugly." Pearl sighed and pulled her spear out of her gem. "Steven, keep Connie and her mother safe." She began to walk towards the door, but Jasper grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back.

"You're still injured, remember?"

Pearl smiled meekly. "Actually... I'm not." Jasper kept staring at her, and Pearl bit her lip. "I never was. I was pretending to be."

"Why would you do that?" Jasper asked, releasing her arm.

Pearl let her spear dissipate, wringing her hands together and wobbling back and forth on her feet. "Well, you see..."

"It was my idea," Steven announced. "I asked Pearl to pretend to be hurt so we could see what you'd do when we left you alone." Behind him, the doors swung open again and Garnet and Amethyst entered. Steven looked back to see that Amethyst had shapeshifted into an exact doppelganger of the hot-headed police captain—purple skin notwithstanding. He could only guess at how she'd made use of that form to get into the building.

Jasper was taken aback. "So this was, what... a test?"

Steven crossed his arms. "That's right. So we'd know if we could trust you." He didn't like the idea of tricking someone, but he was still suspicious of Jasper—and he had no shortage of reasons to distrust her.

Jasper tilted her head back and ran a hand through her thick white hair, then laughed. "Very clever, human."

The Crystal Gems exchanged wary glances. They thought Jasper would react badly when she discovered what they were up to, but she seemed genuinely amused.

"You're... not mad?" Steven asked.

"Mad?" Jasper put her hands on her hips and leaned over to look him in the eye. "That was the first smart thing you Gems have done since you had me locked up."

Despite himself, Steven couldn't help but feel a bit of pride.

"Am I a spy?" She asked rhetorically, looking at Garnet before turning to Amethyst. "Will I betray you later? You don't know! It was pretty foolish of you to let me run loose." She pointed down at the small boy in front of her. "Apparently the _human_ is the only one with some sense in him."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. "I may hold... _some_ responsibility for whatever is going on outside. I will go out there and do battle with the humans."

Pearl scoffed. "You'll end up killing someone if we send you out there. _I'll_ fight the cops."

"You might not be injured, but you're still weaker than I am," Jasper jeered.

Connie's mother stepped between the two and held up her hands, quieting them. " _No one_ is fighting the cops! I'll go out there and explain the situation to them." She grabbed her daughter by the wrist and dragged her out of the room, Steven following shortly after.

"So the Steven boy was the one to come up with a clever plan." The muscular Jasper looked down at the smaller Pearl and shook her head in disappointment. "Looks like you're all brawn and no brains. I expected better."

"Wha—" Pearl gasped, but Jasper was already walking out of the operating room. Pearl gave chase, outrage spewing forth from her mouth as she danced around the Quartz until the two disappeared past a turn in the hallway. Garnet smiled, but slowly the corners of her mouth turned down into a worried frown.

She had been confident things would turn out well, that much was true. But it wasn't because she had used her future vision to see how events would play out. For the past few days, it was as if a blindfold had been pulled over her eyes and left her bereft of an entire dimension of perception. The future wasn't just _hazy_ ; she was faced with an impenetrable wall past which no one's fate was visible—not even her own.


	22. Chapter 22

"I _said_ turn the music up!" Serpentine shouted, heaving a bottle at the DJ booth. It narrowly missed Sour Cream, who ducked out of the way and held his hands over his head to protect himself as the glass shattered against the far wall. He apprehensively peeked back out from his hiding spot and looked back down at the dance floor below. The woman he'd met the night before was standing there glowering at him, the jagged scar running down her face adding an extra layer of threat to her pale, scowling visage. In the dim light of the nightclub the night before, he'd thought it looked cool on her—now it was just scary. He also had somehow missed the fact that she wasn't human. The phrase 'Beer goggles' got thrown around, but his poor judgment had taken the phenomenon to a whole new level.

"Please," he begged, leaning over the turntables in front of him. The sun was starting to filter in through the warehouse windows. "I've been here all night. Aren't you getting tired of dancing?"

The Gem huffed impatiently. "Weren't you just last night complaining that no one appreciated your disc jockying?"

He shrugged slowly. "Yeah."

"And who was kind enough to take notice and compliment your skillset?"

"You were..."

"And now you want to deny your talents to the one person who appreciates them?" Her voice grew sad. "I'm hurt."

He tugged at the collar of his baggy sweatshirt. "It's just that I haven't slept in almost two day—"

" _I'm_ the one dancing and I feel fine!" She pointed a long finger at him and narrowed her eyes. "Now keep the music going before I come up there!"

The teenager, who had grown almost as pale as the Gem, avoided meeting her gaze and hunched over the turntable, working dials and knobs furiously as the soft drone of musical tones grew louder and richer. The strange woman started moving again, her body swaying from side to side in time with the beat, followed by her raising her spindly arms to the sides of her head and snapping her fingers to a rhythm only she could make out in the chaotic array of electronic notes.

Looking down at the checkerboard dance floor, he watched the lithe Gem dance, moving from square to square like some possessed chess piece. Sour Cream groaned, flexing his sore arms but not daring to pull his hands away from the turntables. He could only hope that someone came by to rescue him—and soon.

* * *

The Crystal Gems, along with Jasper, were assembled in the living room of the temple. Amethyst and Pearl sat on the sofa, and Steven dangled head-first off of the loft above them, arms waving idly. Garnet lounged against the kitchen counter, propped up by her elbows. Jasper, who leaned against the wall in between the common area and warp pad, kept her distance from the others. Perhaps she didn't want the others to get too comfortable with her—or perhaps she worried that she was in danger of becoming accustomed to the relaxed atmosphere.

"Lets recap," Garnet announced, all eyes already on her. "Pros: We've established that Jasper won't try to shatter Pearl out of sheer malice."

Jasper frowned. Was that all the credit she had earned?

Amethyst raised her hand. "Cons: Jasper almost got taken down by a SWAT team."

Garnet nodded. "Things took a chaotic turn, yes. But I don't think anyone could have seen that coming—and pro: no one was hurt."

"Well, you saw it coming, right Garnet?" Steven looked at her from across the room on the floor of the loft. "But you didn't want to say anything because it'd mess with the timeline... or something."

"Right. Precisely." She cast her eyes downward worriedly, though even that brief betrayal of her emotions was hidden from the others by her sunglasses.

"Con: Jasper is banned from the hospital for life," Amethyst added, determined to beat Garnet's tally. "A life which will be shorter, because she's banned from the hospital."

Jasper looked down her gem at Amethyst. " _Why_ would I need to go to the hospital? I was only there for this one's sake." She jerked her head in Pearl's direction.

"What if you need to take Steven to the hospital?" Pearl asked. "You really need to start thinking long-term."

Jasper took one look at the smiling young man, then turned back to Pearl. "Why would I _ever_ take the boy to the hospital?"

Still dangling above the couch, Steven tapped Pearl on the shoulder. She looked up to see a concerned face staring back at her. "Pearl, am I sick?"

"Oh, no, no, Steven." She smiled and took his small hand in her own. "But you almost certainly will be at some point, because human beings are ticking time bombs of genetic defects." His eyes grew wide with fear, and Pearl turned back to Jasper. "And _that's_ why it's imperative that we not damage our relationship with the people living in this town."

Garnet held up her hand. "Pearl's point may have gotten away from her a bit, but she's right. Jasper, we all know that you were looking out for Pearl— " Jasper could hear the 'but' coming from a mile away. "—And we bear some of the blame for tricking you. That said, you can't use brute force to get what you want if you plan on living on Earth."

"I didn't _plan_ on living on Earth," she retorted, then sighed. "But I guess I'm stuck doing just that." She held her chin up proudly and squeezed her crossed arms. "I will... _refrain_ from threatening the humans."

Pearl smiled and looked at Garnet, then gestured to Jasper. "See? She won't threaten them."

"Unless I absolutely need to," Jasper added quickly.

"Unless she _absolutely needs to_ ," Pearl echoed.

Garnet would have been content to wrap up the topic of Jasper then and there, but an unexpected entrance made that impossible.

Lapis entered their home, followed by Buck Dewey and Jenny Pizza. Steven had mentally filed them away as 'the cool kids', a trio that was usually rounded off by the inclusion of Sour Cream. Lapis made an Ill-fitting stand in for the laid-back teenager.

"Oh, so we're not knocking anymore?" Amethyst mouthed off sarcastically.

"Buck! Jenny! I didn't expect to see you—"

Steven stopped talking when he saw Lapis halt near the door, and he followed her eyes to Jasper.

 _Uh-oh._

He had never really explained Jasper's present situation to her. Until just a short while ago, he had been as mad at Jasper as Lapis was. Now he didn't really even mind having the surly Gem take up half of the hallway, but Lapis clearly did—she looked _mad_.

"What's _she_ doing here?" Lapis spat. He could hear annoyance, betrayal, and raw anger intermingling in her voice. Everyone in the room looked around briefly before quickly finding the object of her ire—the Quartz who, as far as Lapis could tell, was wasting no time making herself at home.

Feeling like he should be the one to try and smooth over the situation, Steven pushed himself off of the loft floor and stood up. "I know this is... _weird_ , Lapis—but Jasper's on our side now." He laughed nervously. "It's a funny story, really—"

Face screwed up in anger, Lapis swung her arm in front of her. "There's nothing _funny_ about this!" She stared right at Jasper, tunnel vision making her forget for a moment that there were half a dozen other people and Gems in the room with them. "Why are you doing? Do you think anyone wants you here?"

Jasper remained silent, letting Lapis unload on her. If the blue Gem's invective got to her, she wasn't letting it show.

"Do you think you can trust her?" Lapis turned to each of the Crystal Gems, none of them willing to address her pointed question—except for Pearl.

"That's unfair, Lapis," she objected sternly. "It's true that Jasper has done some things that are hard to forgive—" she threw a surreptitious glance at the Quartz, feeling a bit awkward about discussing Jasper's past while she was standing right there. "—but that was when she thought she was doing the right thing by serving Homeworld."

The blue Gem laughed in disbelief. " _Unfair?_ Unfair is when you had me trapped in a mirror for a few thousand years," she shot back at Pearl. "Or how about when _I_ kept Malachite chained to keep you safe?" She looked at Steven, and guilt surged through him. "Now you're just going to play house with Jasper because you think she's a rebel like you?"

Not even Steven knew what to say. Lapis stopped shouting, and an awkward silence fell over the room.

Behind Lapis, Jenny tapped Buck on the shoulder enthusiastically. "It's like a telenovela!" She whispered. He didn't respond, keenly aware that everyone could hear her in the dead silence of the living room.

Not getting the response she had hoped for—or any response—finally Lapis threw up her arms and whirled about in a huff, nearly barging right into the two humans behind her on her way out the door. Jasper followed her lead, though she chose a different exit.

"Where are _you_ going?" Pearl asked the Quartz, who disappeared through the curtained door behind the warp pad without answering.

The remaining Gems glanced at each other awkwardly, and Buck shot a thumb back towards the door. "Maybe we should leave..." He suggested.

"No, you don't need to go," Steven said, and ran down from the loft. "Sorry you had to see that."

Buck held up his hand reassuringly. "Its nothing. Everyones got their issues." Jenny elbowed him to remind him why they were there, and he cleared his throat. "So do we, actually. That's why we asked that Gem to bring us here." A hint of concern shone through his otherwise blunted affect.

"You know Sour Cream, right?" Steven nodded. "Well we haven't seen him in a few days. Then this morning, I got this text from his phone." He held up his cell to Steven, who squinted at the message.

 _'usbqqfe jo dmvc tfoe ifmq'_

Steven rubbed the side of his head. "It looks like gibberish. Maybe he just sat on his phone?"

Buck shrugged. "Maybe, but that's all we've got to go off of."

"And he really _is_ missing," Jenny added.

Garnet walked towards the three of them. "Wouldn't the police be better suited for something like this?"

Buck clicked his teeth dismissively. "We tried going to them. Said they couldn't help because they 'blew their budget' for the year on something that went down at the hospital."

Garnet slowly turned her head around and caught Pearl's gaze. The latter bit her lip, looking away guiltily.

Jenny shook her head. "Makes me wonder why I even bother paying taxes."

"We both know you don't pay any taxes," Buck replied.

"We'll help find your friend," Garnet announced. "Because that's what we do." That, and the fact that they were responsible for the teens' lack of other options—but Garnet preferred to cast their motives in a more positive light.

"Yay!" Jenny grinned and clapped enthusiastically before remembering what had brought them there. "I mean, I'm worried about Sour Cream, but this is going to be fun! It's like a team-up."

"So, where should we start?" Steven asked them.

"Hmm..." Buck stood in thought for a moment. "We already asked around with the obvious people—friends, family, that sort of thing."

Amethyst spoke up from her spot on the couch. "Are you sure he's not just skipping school?"

Buck turned to her, and she swore that she could see his eyes get serious through the dark sunglasses that covered his usually inscrutable face. "Sour Cream would _never_ skip school," he said, with a certainty that had the rest of them satisfied it wasn't a possibility worth pressing.

"Can I get another look at that text message?" Steven asked. Buck held it up for him to look at again, and Steven pulled out his own phone, then copied the text into it.

"Does it make any sense to you?"

Steven shook his head and pocketed his phone. "No... almost, maybe. It's like one of those magic eye pictures where you have to unfocus your eyes so you can see the fish. I feel like it means _something._ "

Buck shrugged. "We'll take any help we can get."

Garnet nodded. "Then while Steven is looking into that, we'll widen the search and ask around town. Maybe someone has seen him."

Buck and Jenny said their thanks and goodbyes, then left to resume looking for their wayward friend. Garnet walked to the front of the room, her take-charge attitude on full blast.

"Somewhere, someone has seen him. This is our top priority right now." She turned to Pearl. "That means trying to have Steven heal those corrupted Gems you and Jasper found in the desert will have to wait."

Garnet began to lay out her plan, but a confused Pearl interrupted her. "Were we planning on trying that? They were in pretty bad shape..." She glanced over to Steven, who was listening intently.

"It was your idea, wasn't it?" Garnet asked.

Pearl looked taken aback. "I never suggested anything like that!"

Garnet held up her hand and shook her head. "When you asked me to open the bubble room for you, you said that you wanted to try having Steven heal them."

Pearl looked around at the other Crystal Gems. All eyes were on her, and she recoiled defensively. "That never happened!"

She and Garnet stared each other down, both confused and annoyed at the other for questioning their version of events.

"I'll only ask once to make sure," Garnet said. "This isn't another 'Secret Team' situation, is it?" She looked from Pearl to Steven. "You didn't lose another Gem in the temple?"

Steven shook his head vehemently. "I don't know anything about that."

"And I _certainly_ didn't talk to you about taking those Gems out of their bubble," Pearl added.

"What's that mean?" Amethyst asked.

Garnet strode towards the stairs leading to the bubble room. "It means that we have a problem."

* * *

"Whew! I'm wiped." Serpentine stopped dancing and walked over to a counter on the edge of the room. Behind it on the wall were mounted metal racks that would normally stock drinks for the partygoers, but which sat empty on the weekday. She leaned over the counter and dug around the shelf underneath, cups and glasses dropping to the floor with her rummaging. Sensing that an opportunity to escape had come, Sour Cream took his hands off of the turntable in front of him while the background music continued playing. The Gem below didn't seem to notice, and he began to creep down the wrought iron stairs from the DJ booth, keeping close to the wall to avoid making the steps creak with his weight—a trick he had learned from years of sneaking out of his mom's home in the dead of night.

He neared a doorway leading out of the warehouse at the bottom of the stairs, and cast a wary glance back at the Gem before preparing to step out of the doorway. As he turned back around, he came face to face with a visage that had him wishing he had stayed up in the DJ booth fighting sleep deprivation. A hound, its head nearly level in height with Sour Cream's own, stared him down with two blood-red eyes. It growled, baring razor-sharp teeth and dripping saliva onto the floor. It had what looked like armor jutting out of its fur—or was that _part_ of it? Yellow spots dotted its hide, a desert camouflage that only made it stand out more in the steel gray of the warehouse. Sour Cream backed up cautiously, but stopped when the back of his foot hit something. He jumped and turned around, and saw another beast exactly like the first. With nowhere else to go he backed up towards the stairs he had just come down. The hounds walked towards him, growling while they herded him back onto the steps.

"If you _really_ want to leave, you can leave," Serpentine sighed. He looked over at her, keeping the animals in the corner of his vision. She was still standing by the bar, and held a martini glass in one hand. She took a sip from it and waited for Sour Cream to move. "Well, go on!"

One look back at the corrupted Gems that had cornered him, and his mind was made up. "M-maybe I'll stay here," he stuttered, and backed further up the stairs.

Serpentine grinned wholeheartedly. "Terrific!" She set the glass down on the counter and started walking towards the exit Sour Cream had set his eyes on. "You sit tight, take a well-earned break. I need to get ready for tonight."

"Tonight?" Sour Cream wondered aloud. How long was he going to be stuck here?

"Yes!" She exclaimed from behind the corrupted Gems, stopping just short of the exit. "I need to get guests, entertainment... oh, and food! We're all out of food." She disappeared through the doorway, only for her head to pop back into view a moment later. "Unless you make _them_ angry," she noted, nodding at the hounds waiting at the bottom of the stairs before leaving once more. He walked back up into the booth and sat down on the floor, then took his phone out of his pocket and pressed the power button. It vibrated briefly, then flashed a dead battery sign and immediately switched off. With a sigh he put it back in his pocket.


	23. Chapter 23

Garnet walked all the way around the bubble room, head twisting and turning as she examined the floating red spheres within which were contained innumerable gemstones. She stopped, and stared upwards at a conspicuous gap in the vast cloud of bubbles.

"What are you looking at?" Amethyst asked, following Garnet's gaze.

"Nothing—that's the problem." She pointed at an open area in an otherwise crowded cluster of bubbles. "There should be a bubble here containing those two Quartzes that Pearl and Jasper found."

Garnet turned around to face the other Crystal Gems. "Apparently, we've been infiltrated."

Steven snapped his fingers. "Serpentine!" He exclaimed, and the others turned to look at him. "That Gem on the Homeworld ship I told you about—even Amethyst can't change colors like she can. I bet she could make you think she was Pearl."

Amethyst took the form of Pearl, startling her. She grunted and strained, and for a brief moment her purple skin grew a touch closer to the ivory shade of the real Pearl. With a gasp she exhaled and hung her arms in exhaustion, and the purple color returned. "That's _hard."_ She shifted back into her usual form. "I never could get color changing down."

Garnet patted Steven on the head. "Good thinking, Steven." She turned to the other two Gems. "If she let them loose, we need to find those corrupted Gems before a human does. If she didn't simply set them loose, and she's planning to use them for something..." She let her words hang in the air for a moment. "...Well, that's even worse." She turned to Pearl. "Pearl, see if you can get Jasper to help out—the more Gems we have searching, the better. Amethyst and I will start looking immediately."

Steven hopped up and down, drawing Garnet's attention. "What do you want me to do?"

"The same thing you were going to do before—go look for your friend."

He frowned. "You don't think I can handle those Gems, do you?"

She crouched down and held him by the shoulders. "Of course I do, but we made a promise to your friends—and you're the one best suited to help them. If we find the corrupted Gems, we'll call you. I promise."

Satisfied that he wasn't simply being kept safely away from the action, he gave her a determined nod.

Garnet stood up and clapped her hands together. "Then let's get to it."

* * *

Lapis sat on the shingled roof above the temple's entryway. Below her she heard a creak as the front door opened, then felt a slight shake as it closed. Steven stepped out onto the porch, and Lapis hopped down next to him, slowing her descent with a single flap of her wings as she fell.

The soft _thump_ as she landed alerted him to her presence, and he turned around to greet her. In the past her sneaking up on Steven may have scared him, but he had gotten used to her dropping in on him—often quite literally.

"Did I surprise you?" She asked, smiling mischievously.

He smiled back. "No, that stopped surprising me a long time ago. They walked down from the balcony together, heading towards town. "Now I like it—it's like having a guardian angel." He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "That probably sounded lame."

She shook her head. "Not at all!" Lapis stepped closer to his side, winding her left arm under his right so that they walked side by side. "I think that's romantic."

Romantic? Steven wasn't sure if that was the word he would use. The pair blushed, both intimately aware of the other but resisting the urge to untangle their linked arms.

A few moments passed before Lapis broached the subject on both of their minds. "You know, you're too nice for your own good."

Was he? Steven had softened on Jasper, that was true, but it wasn't out of nowhere. It might've looked that way to Lapis, but he had given her an even harder time than the other Crystal Gems before accepting that maybe she really could reform.

"Do you think, maybe... you were too hard on her?" He swallowed, unsure of how frankly he should risk speaking his mind. "I'm not saying you have to be buddies with her or anything! But... she _is_ stuck here on Earth, too—and she's not as good at making friends as you are."

Lapis let out a genuine snort of amusement at that last bit. Is that really how he saw Lapis? Of course it was—he always said exactly what he was thinking. That's what she liked about him.

"You don't know her like I do, Steven. We were fused, you know. She's a _monster_."

Steven cringed at the word. _Monster_ —it seemed so harsh. Jasper might be mean, but she had reasons for doing the things she did. He couldn't remember her ever being cruel just for cruelty's sake. The Quartz would probably always be a bit of a bully, but maybe she could be _their_ bully.

Lapis could see Steven wrapped up in thought, and decided to change the subject. "So where are we going?" There was a limit to how much she wanted to talk about Jasper, though she hadn't given up on making Steven see her for what she really was—not by a long shot.

"Did Buck and Jenny tell you about Sour Cream?" He responded.

She nodded. "Sort of, and I heard the rest from outside."

"I'm going to see if Connie can figure out the message he sent... assuming there's anything to figure out."

She tilted her head. "Connie? Why her?"

He gave her a look back, as if the answer were obvious. "We'll, she's smart. Way smarter than me."

Lapis was surprised at how readily he admitted it. "You shouldn't put yourself down like that." She felt defensive over his self-denigration—like it was insulting _her_ by proxy somehow.

He shrugged. "It's not like it bothers me. Besides, she is! She can play violin, do complicated math in her head, she knows all sorts of random science stuff, she can speak Brazilian—or was it Portuguese..."

Lapis rolled her eyes as Steven rattled off the girl's talents, and slowly circled around behind him as they walked. "But can she do... _this?"_ Wrapping her arms around his chest, she extended her wings and launched them both into the air.

"Whoa!" Steven exclaimed, calming down and laughing nervously once he realized what had suddenly propelled him into the air. They flew towards the town, and for once Steven had nothing left to say. He went silent, content to admire the sublime view. Lapis had flown him around before, but he still couldn't get over the fact that this was the way she got to see the world all the time.

"Hey, so how do we get to your friend's?"

"Oh, right." He tore his eyes away from the horizon and scanned the ground for identifying landmarks. It took some serious thought—things _really_ looked different with some added distance—but eventually he was able to pick out Connie's townhouse from among the copy & pasted subdivisions lining the hills. She flew them straight there, making record time without the added twists and turns they would have had to navigate getting there on foot.

They really did make good partners, Steven thought to himself.

* * *

Pearl didn't have to look for Jasper for long. As soon as she entered the dimensional confines of her room, she heard a repetitive _bang_ that shook the ground and interrupted the serene _drip-drip_ of water spilling off of the platforms in front of her.

To her left, Jasper was gripping either side of a marbled pillar and headbutting it over and over, grunting in frustration.

"Hey!" Pearl ran over and grabbed her around the waist before she could slam her head into the pillar again. "What on Earth are you doing?" She leaned around the Quartz to get a look at her face. The marble pillar remained unblemished—that was just how the room worked—but Jasper's face was red with anger and the force of the impacts.

"She gets me so _mad!"_ Jasper released her grip and allowed Pearl to pull her away from the stonework she had taken her rage out on.

"Lapis?" Jasper had seemed so nonchalant during the blue Gem's outburst.

"She acts like I have everything." She shook Pearl free and began pacing in circles, clenching her hands open and closed. " _She's_ the one with everything—a home, a purpose, someone..." She trailed off and stopped in her tracks, nostrils flaring with her rapid breaths.

Pearl approached the fuming Gem and tentatively placed her hands on her broad shoulders. "Take _deep_ breaths," she soothed.

Jasper shrugged her off again. "I don't need you to calm me down."

"Well, you could have fooled me." Garnet had asked Pearl to enlist the Quartz's aid, but one look at the out-of-control Gem told Pearl that she wasn't going to be helping _anyone_ in her present state.

"I'd like you to try something."

"What?" Jasper watched Pearl as the latter walked up a short staircase onto one of the room's platforms.

"Just humor me for a bit." She beckoned with her hand, urging the Quartz to follow. "Come on!"

With only a low grumble as protest, she followed Pearl onto the round dais. Water bubbled forth from a small fount in the center, covering the stone in less than an inch of water that spilled over the sides continuously.

"Take a seat." Pearl gestured to a raised portion of the platform that sat a few inches above the crystal-clear water. Jasper looked at it doubtfully, but sat down anyway. Pearl took a cross legged position across from her on a similar slab of stone, then frowned when she saw Jasper resting on her shins and knees.

"You can't sit like _that."_

"Why not?"

"That's just not how it's done. Try sitting like me."

Jasper looked at Pearl's impossibly angled legs, feet resting on her thin thighs, then down at her own tree trunk-like legs. "That's impossible," she snapped.

"Ok, ok—no big deal. Just close your eyes for now."

Pearl shut her eyes, and Jasper did likewise.

"Reach down deep within yourself. Find the goodwill towards all living things deep within you, and bring it to the surface of your thoughts."

Jasper cracked open one eye to see Pearl smiling serenely, eyes still closed. Whatever feelings were buried under the torrent of thoughts Jasper was dealing with, 'goodwill' certainly wasn't among them. She closed her eyes again and watched her thoughts float by, examining each one in turn.

She was annoyed with the Pearl. She was furious with Lapis Lazuli. She was envious of Steven—and frustrated at being jealous of a _human_. She hated being stuck on Earth. Jasper pushed those thoughts down as they came up, but it was like trying to smooth out the rough surface of the ocean. Opening her eyes again, she saw Pearl's pleasant expression was unchanged.

With a sigh she let her eyelids droop down without closing completely, and gave up trying to sort out the tangled mess of her mind. When fear struck her, she watched it until it faded into nothingness. When anger burned in her chest, she let it burn without touching the thought that appeared alongside it. Without her giving it the attention that sustained it, that firestorm of emotion waned until it was reduced to no more than a low simmer.

Ignorant of how much time had passed, she sat there, unmoving, until she saw movement through her half-closed eyes. Pearl stood to her feet and put her hands on her hips.

"Did you find your center?"

Jasper stood up with a grunt. "No, so I just sat there and didn't think of anything."

"Oh, well. I'm sure you'll get it eventually. Do you at least feel better now?"

"Yes," Jasper said as she turned her back to Pearl and began walking away. "Probably because you stopped talking for five minutes."

"Wha—" Pearl frowned and ran after her. "We were sitting for an hour!"

* * *

"Steven! Lapis! What are you two doing here?" Connie ushered the pair inside of her family's townhouse, overly conscious of what the neighbors would say if they saw the blue Gem standing on her stoop. The paranoid old lady who lived above them was already half-convinced that her family were illegal aliens—the last thing she wanted to do was add fuel to that fire.

Steven began to take off his shoes. "We'll, it's a bit of a long story—"

"Hold on." Connie shushed him and peaked into the rooms adjoining the entryway, checking for any sign of her parents. "Let's talk in my room," she said in a low voice, ushering them up the stairway.

The two followed, and after quietly closing the door behind them, seated themselves around the room. Lapis made a beeline for a beanbag in the corner of the room, and Steven sat with Connie on her bed while he explained the situation with Sour Cream to her.

Lapis watched the two intently while they talked. Connie still wasn't quite sure what to make of her. She was pretty sure that the Gem didn't _dislike_ her, she was just... reserved—very, very reserved.

"Can I see that text he sent his friend?" Connie grabbed a notepad and pen off of her desk and copied down the message. "Yes! A puzzle!" She muttered to herself. Steven couldn't help but compare her to Peridot at times like this. When one of them became wrapped up in a problem, they wouldn't let it go until they'd solved it or totally exhausted themselves. That _could_ mean he had made a grave mistake if the message really was just gibberish, but it was too late to consider that now.

"Got it!" Connie exclaimed.

Steven looked up. He had zoned out, having twiddle his thumbs in thought while Connie focused her attention on the notepad in her hands. "Already?"

"It's just a simple letter-shift encryption."

Steven nodded, smiling absentmindedly. "Oh, right."

Connie exhaled in mock exasperation. She acted like it was a bother to explain this stuff, but he could tell she enjoyed it. "You take each letter—" She pointed at the 'S' at the start of the message. "—And change it to the next letter in the alphabet." She wrote a 'T' below the 'S'. "In this case, it resets every three letters. So a 'C' becomes an 'A', and a 'F' becomes a 'D'!"

"That made it a little harder to figure out, but it still wasn't that tough." She examined Steven's face for any sign of understanding, but he looked even more confused than before.

"I'll just decode the whole thing," she sighed.

"Great!" His pleased expression turned thoughtful. "But why would Sour Cream bother encrypting a text message?"

"Maybe he's been kidnapped by Triads!" Connie looked up from her work on the notepad in her lap. "Or maybe he knows he's being monitored by the NSA!"

Steven shrugged slowly. "Yeah, I don't know..."

Lapis stood up from her bean bag and approached the two, phone in hand. "I think he just had alphabet mode on." She held her flip phone between the two and they watched as she typed. The first time, pressing '1' as the cursor cycled through 1, then 'A', 'B', and 'C'. She then pressed a button below the number pad, and '1' was left out of the selection as she cycled through the letters a second time.

"Oooh..." The two marvelled in realization, becoming deflated as the mundane explanation set in. "Oh."

"He probably wasn't looking at the screen while he typed. He thought he had to skip past the numbers." Lapis closed the phone, and Steven looked at her in awe.

"How'd you figure that out?"

Lapis looked off to the side and winced in embarrassment. "I did the same thing with Peridot for like, a week. I got mad at her because she never responded back."

Steven laughed and turned back to Connie. "Well, we should still see what it says."

Notepad in hand, Connie stared at it in concern before holding it up to him. Written in her handwriting was a short, but clear message:

 ** _'Trapped in club, send help'_**


	24. Chapter 24

Lapis wasn't sure which was worse—feeling like the third wheel, or being stuck with one. The latter came to mind when she looked down at the young girl she hung onto with her left hand as she flew. She was carrying Connie and Steven in the direction of a warehouse that Steven knew Sour Cream held raves at on the weekends, and couldn't help but feel burdened. Not literally—she was a lot stronger than she looked—but Steven had already gotten what he needed from Connie. Why bring her along?

She knew what he would say: 'I trust her'. He'd said it before. Still, it seemed irresponsible to put her in harm's way like this. She _was_ a human, after all. Steven might look and act like one, but no one could deny the fact that he was far stronger than any human. Having Connie come along didn't just put _her_ in danger, but Steven as well.

Below her, the two humans were calling out landmarks that they recognized, making a game of the trip. When it came time to fight, Steven would end up watching Connie's back. He'd say that was a good thing, that that's what teammates did—but it wouldn't be because they were teammates. It would be because Connie was fragile, vulnerable, and _human._ All three knew that, but only Lapis knew what it _really_ meant.

Connie could never be a part of Steven's life, not completely. Right now he felt fully at home on Earth among humans, having been sheltered from the implications of his half-Gem nature by the ones that had raised him. Had they ever explained what that meant? _Really_ explained it? Lapis wasn't sure quite how things would work for Steven. Would he grow? He probably would. He used to be a baby, after all. Would he age like humans do? Maybe, but he would still outlive every human in his life. His father, his uncle, his friends—and Connie.

That was why for now, Lapis was content to let him have his fun with the human. She looked down at the two, and saw Steven laughing happily. Why unload all of this on him now? He had, what, 300 years to enjoy with Connie? However long humans lived, he would inevitably be forced to confront the reality that his time with Connie was fleeting.

"There it is!" Steven pointed at a nondescript warehouse ahead of them, the brown brick building seated in the midst of a lifeless industrial park that had clearly seen better days.

"There's a door open on the roof." Lapis looked for what Connie was talking about and saw that the rooftop access door was indeed cracked open. "Drop me there, I'll sneak in while you guys go in through the front."

Swooping low above the building, Lapis released her grip on Connie who fell to the roof, landing with a gentle roll to break her fall. After they had crested the edge of the roof, Lapis brought her and Steven down in front of a steel door flecked with bits of rust.

"Hey, do you hear music?" Lapis asked, and Steven pressed an ear to the door.

"Hey, yeah." He looked around at the empty street. "But it's a weekday... and the middle of the afternoon."

Lapis shrugged and tried the door. It opened an inch before a chain on the other side pulled taut with a loud _clink._ They could hear the thumping music clearly now, and a fine mist spilled out through the cracked door. Inside, flashing colored lights illuminated the empty dance floor.

"There's no one in there," she said, letting the door close.

"If it's abandoned, then no one will mind if I do _this!"_ He summoned his shield and battered the door in. It flew off the hinges and slid to a stop on the far end of the dance floor.

"I didn't say it was _abandoned,_ I said it was _empty!"_ Large red curtains hung from the ceiling, cutting the dance floor in half. Their eyes quickly fell on Connie, who stood imprisoned in a small red forcefield the size of one of the dance floor's squares. Rose's sword hung at her side, and she waved her hands at Steven and Lapis as they ran towards her.

"No, no! Don't—" As they neared the barrier, it disappeared, then reformed in a larger size that encompassed enough squares to trap Lapis, Steven, and Connie together in a single cell.

"Hey, Steven." Steven stopped banging on the forcefield to look for the source of the voice. Sour Cream stood in the DJ's booth above the stage, one of the corrupted Gems lurking behind him with snarling teeth.

"Sour Cream! Are you alright?" Steven said. The teenager opened his mouth to respond, but jerked to attention when he heard a new voice calling for him.

"Play me on stage, boy!" Came a shout from behind the curtain in front of them. Sour Cream's fingers danced across the keyboard, playing an upbeat electronic tune that was quickly overpowered by a horrible screeching noise, like someone scooting a chair back on the floor. The curtains were drawn back, sliding open as if a stage production were starting.

One of the corrupted Gems emerged from behind the curtain, hindquarters first. Its head came next, and they could see that it gripped a rope tightly in its teeth as it struggled to drag something across the stage. Finally came a lounge couch of red velvet and deep brown wood, atop which lay Serpentine. She was propped up on her side holding a wide golden bowl next to her, and she picked a grape out of it as she emerged from behind the curtain.

The dog-like Gem continued to drag the sofa until it was in the middle of the dance floor, directly in front of the imprisoned trio.

"Stop," Serpentine said, turning to the Gem. It continued to grunt and strain against the slick floor, dragging her another few inches. The music stopped and the colored lights returned to normal, but the Gem kept dragging the couch by its teeth.

"I said _stop!"_ She hissed, and threw a grape at the creature's head. The hound dropped the rope and chased after the fruit while the seated Gem shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Is this what Earth does to Gems?" She said, turning to Steven.

"That's what _Homeworld_ does to Gems," he shot back.

"Well..." She shrugged. "I don't really care." Her placid expression turned mischievous and her eyes danced between Steven and his two friends. "They were just bait to get _you_ three here."

"Why?" He exclaimed. "I thought you were done working with Homeworld!"

"Oh, I am," she mumbled with a mouth full of grapes. "This is all for me. I was going to leave you alone like I agreed, but then I heard about something interesting! A human and a Gem walk into an amusement park, and a _new_ Gem leaves." A grin spread across her face. "I'm sure you know what I'm talking about."

Steven swallowed and threw a sidelong glance at Connie. "Yeah, so what?"

"What's she talking about?" Connie whispered to Steven. He ignored her and continued to glare at the Homeworld Gem.

"A _human_ fusing with a _Gem_ is interesting enough. Then I found out that you've fused with this young girl, too!" She flapped her hand at Connie. "I wonder... did you tell her about it?"

"Well, no. I've been meaning to, but..." He trailed off, his eyes refusing to meet her own. He wanted to say that it was no big deal, that he didn't think she'd even care—but he knew full well that neither of those things were true.

"So here's what I was thinking..." The Gem pressed a button on the band wrapped around her wrist, and a hollow _thunk_ came from below them as small slots opened on the floor below them. His ears popped and he could hear a low _hiss_ as the air was sucked out of the cage.

"Any _one_ of you is too weak to break out of there before the oxygen runs out... it is _oxygen_ you humans breathe, right?"

All three banged on the forcefield ineffectively, and Serpentine nodded in satisfaction.

"Now a _Fusion_ could bust out of there no problem!" She lifted up the bowl and tipped it upside down, then tossed it to the side where it clattered before rolling to a stop.

"Why would you want to make us fuse?" Lapis shouted. "Are you _that_ bored?"

"Well, yes. But it's not about Fusion itself." She swung her feet onto the floor and sat up on the couch. "I want to see _who_ he chooses to fuse with, and I want to see the face of the one he doesn't choose!"

Connie gasped in disgust. "That's horrible!"

"I know, I'm sure it will be!" She replied giddily.

"Were not toys," Steven said. "You can't just... jam us together and hope something interesting happens because you're _bored!"_ He wasn't sure if it was the air running out in the prison or if he was just angry, but his lungs were beginning to burn.

"Why not? Everyone else in this town is so... dull." She nodded at Sour Cream in the DJ booth. His eyes darted between the Homeworld Gem and his imperiled friends, but the snarling hound next to him warned him against any sudden moves.

"So go to other towns, meet other people!" Lapis said. "If you think there's nothing to do here, it's because you didn't look hard enough." She flashed a weak smile at Steven, who had taken the time to show her exactly that.

"Other towns?" Serpentine's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Empire City! Las Vegas! Any of them!" Steven said.

Serpentine held up a hand, stopping him. "Empire City... I thought that was from television. That place is real?"

"Wha—" Steven balked.

"Yes!" Connie shouted.

Serpentine eyed her thoughtfully and stood up from the couch. "How many of these 'towns' are there?"

"Hundreds! Thousands!" Connie said.

"And they're all full of humans?"

Steven's mouth dropped open in disbelief. "How do you not know this stuff?"

The Gem's eyes narrowed and she took a few steps towards the cage before stopping and turning to Sour Cream.

"Phone," she said, wiggling her fingers until he tossed his phone down to her. She caught it and turned back to Steven. "I don't believe you, so I'm checking online." She began fiddling with the phone, powering it up briefly before it switched back off and flashed a dead battery sign.

"Steven," Connie whispered. "I have an idea, but you'll need to follow my lead. You too, Lapis." Steven nodded in response, but Lapis didn't share his confidence in whatever plan the girl had cooked up. She _had_ gotten them trapped after all. Serpentine tossed the dead phone on the couch and turned to her hostages.

"Well, whatever. _Now,_ have you decided—"

"I'll never fuse with you again!" Connie shouted at Steven, balling up her fists and stomping her feet. He leaned away from her in surprise until she winked at him.

"That's fine, Connie. After all..." He wrapped his arm around the waist of the blue Gem beside him and pulled her close. "I have Lapis!"

Connie scoffed. "Fine, go back to your _harlot."_

Serpentine edged closer to the cell, eyes wide as the Gem became entranced with the drama playing out before her.

"Maybe I will," Steven said, then looked up at Lapis. She stammered for a few moments, like an actor searching for her next line.

"Yeah, maybe he will. And maybe we'll do all _kinds_ of fusing." Her dry performance was even worse than the other two, but the Homeworld Gem gave no indication that she noticed.

"Go on, I don't care!" Connie said. "If I'm a free woman, then I think i'll fuse with... him!" She gestured to Sour Cream, who pointed at his own chest in surprise.

"No!" Steven exclaimed, clutching at his heart. "My best friend and my lost love, seeking comfort in each other's arms!"

Serpentine covered her mouth and gasped, stomping her feet on the floor in excitement.

"If only this cursed cage weren't standing between us!" She banged her fist on the shimmering barrier and leaned her head against it. "I would jump into his arms and watch you break down in tears!"

The Homeworld Gem jammed the button on her wrist over and over, watching the scene with feverish exhilaration. The red barrier surrounding them disappeared, and all three leapt out onto the dance floor. Snapping back to reality, Serpentine shook her head violently when she realized what she had done.

"There's nothing I hate more than manipulative people," she hissed. "Don't move a muscle or the human gets it!"

The corrupted Gem in the DJ booth growled at Sour Cream, backing him into the railing.

"Lapis," Steven whispered. She turned to face him while he kept his eyes on the pale Gem in front of them. "I need you to fly Sour Cream out of here. You're the only one who can get him to him fast enough."

"What?" She gasped. "I can't just _leave_ you here."

Serpentine's eyes darted between the two and she hunched over, ready for anything. "You think I don't see you whispering?"

"You trust me, right?"

Lapis thought for a moment, then nodded slowly. She wouldn't say she trusted _Connie,_ but she could at least trust Steven's judgement.

Steven moved his hands behind his back and prepared to do something he swore he'd _never_ do again. It was a gambit born of desperation, but with Sour Cream's life on the line it was time to break out the big guns.

"Hey!" Serpentine shouted, her white hair becoming messy with her frantic movements. "What do you have behind your back? Show me!"

"Oh, just... these!" He thrust his hands out in front of him, receiving looks from everyone else in the room that ranged from surprise to disgust. Ten tiny feline heads sat atop his fingers, meowing in chorus. Immediately the two corrupted Gems' heads snapped towards the source of the noise. The one atop the DJ booth ran down the stairs, and Lapis flew up to grab Sour Cream under the arms, using the moment of chaos to slip out the window behind him.

"Hey, sit! Heel!" The dog-like Gems didn't hear a word their master said, and ran at Steven and Connie with teeth bared and predatory eyes fixed on his hands.

"Run!" Steven grabbed Connie, awkwardly wrapping his shape changed hand around her arm before darting out the warehouse exit.

Steven and Connie ran as fast as their legs would take them, out of the warehouse and down the empty industrial park road. There wasn't a soul in sight—that meant no one to get swept up in the chaos, but it also meant that they were on their own. He held his hands out and shook them as he ran, willing his fingers to return to normal. As the last tiny cat head faded away, he fumbled for his phone, juggling it in his hands and nearly dropping it. He flipped open the phone and scrolled through his contacts before landing on the number he was looking for.

"Dad! I—Look out!" Steven pushed Connie down by the shoulder as he saw the Gem behind them leap through the air, narrowly missing the two before crashing into a cluster of garbage cans against the alley wall.

"What's up, buddy? You playing a game?"

"Connie and I need a ride! We're near the Warehouse on Farway Avenue!"

"The place where they have all those parties?"

"Yeah, that's the one!"

A groan came from the other end of the line. "Steven, you know you can call me for a ride anyplace, anytime, no questions asked—"

The hound, having recovered from its impact, bore down on Steven and Connie once again.

"—But later, we're going to sit down and have a serious talk. You can't be going to parties and drinking at your age. I mean, it's not even four in the afternoon..."

"It's a Gem, dad! We're running from a corrupted Gem!"

The screech of tires and the slap of hands on a steering wheel came from the other end of the line.

"Hang tight, buddy! I'll be right there!" He hung up and Steven put his phone away.

Connie and Steven looked back down the street to see that they'd lost the Gem. They slowed down slightly, but kept running—best to put as much distance as possible between them and those mindless Gems.

"He'll be here soon," he said to Connie. "I think he's working nearby."

"Working?" She said.

"Yeah, he started driving for Uber on his days off from the car wash."

"Isn't he rich from that commercial jingle he wrote?" They were nearing a corner, after which they could turn onto a main road that led back towards more inhabited areas.

"Yeah, but I think he gets bored. He likes to make riders listen to his songs." Steven looked down in shame. "He... doesn't get a lot of repeat business."

They rounded the corner, and came face to face with Serpentine standing on the sidewalk. She was breathing hard, hands on her hips while her chest heaved from exertion. One of the corrupted Gems stood in front of her, growling at the two kids. They moved to turn away, but were met by the other hound approaching from their rear. It's tale swung back as it walked, spikes glinting menacingly in the midday sun.

"You... humans... stop..." the Homeworld Gem panted, clutching at her chest.

An awful squeal drew their attention to the street to their right, and Serpentine's eyes went wide as a van jumped the curb and sent her flying into a brick wall. The old industrial facade crumbled with the impact, shattered bricks falling atop her twisted form as a cloud of dust flew up into the air. Steven's father stepped out of his van and winced in pain when he saw the totaled front half of his vehicle.

"My premiums are definitely going up," Greg groaned. He turned to Steven and pointed behind him in warning as one of the corrupted Gems leapt at his son. "Look out!"

Steven stepped in front of Connie and summoned his shield, turning his head to the side and squeezing his eyes shut as the Gem leapt through the air at him. He heard a hard _thunk_ , then a squeal, but nothing hit his shield. Opening his eyes, he saw Jasper standing in front of him. From his position behind her, he watched through her legs as the corrupted Gem fell to the ground in front of Jasper, letting out a pained yelp as it hit the concrete.

The Gem scrambled onto all fours and shook itself off, sizing up Jasper while keeping its distance.

"Sit!" Jasper shouted, pointing at the ground. Still snarling, the Gem slowly lowered its hindquarters.

"What are you waiting for?" Serpentine yelled from where she lay crumpled against the brick wall. The Gem shot back onto its feet and growled with renewed hostility, teeth bared at Jasper in a wicked grin. Under its fur she could see muscles coil tightly as it prepared to pounce. It launched itself at her again, and Jasper met its snout—or what passed for one on the corrupted Gem—with her fist, battering it back down to the ground.

"I said sit!" She bellowed. The Gem wasted no time assuming a seated position, sharp teeth now safely hidden away. Jasper turned to its companion and repeated the command. It followed far more quickly this time, circling around her and taking a seat by the other corrupted Gem.

"Now retreat into your gems." The two hounds stared at her blankly—Steven couldn't tell if they understood her. Hands on her hips, she leaned over and looked one in the eye, then the other. "Thats an order."

The two cowed Gems turned to face each other, and two beige-colored Quartzes fell to the sidewalk in front of Jasper. Steven dove forward between Jasper's legs, grabbing the two gems and summoning a bubble around them. With a relieved sigh he stood to his feet, and the bubble disappeared from his hands—gone back home, this time for good. Totally exhausted, he staggered over to his father's van, nearly falling over until Connie wrapped her arm around his shoulder.

Jasper walked towards the corrupted Gems' fallen leader, and the incapacitated Serpentine could do nothing but stammer madly as she watched in fear. "Stay back!" She shifted her arms and legs in the rubble, but she was nowhere near recovered enough to run away—let alone fend off a Quartz. "If I don't check in with Homeworld command, they'll come looking for me. You can't touch me!"

Jasper knelt down and gave her an unimpressed look. "You're going to tell them that you won't be able to check in for a few months."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because if you don't, I'll shatter you like I shattered your boss."

Serpentine swallowed. She had no reason to doubt the Quartz's threat, and little stomach to call her bluff. "Could you..." She nodded her head at her right arm and the communicator wrapped around her wrist. Jasper lifted it to Serpentine's face and tapped a few buttons, followed by a holographic image appearing above the readout.

A shrill voice answered on the other end. "This is Yellow Diamond command. What is your status?"

"This is Serpentine, facet TC9, cut H35." She looked at Jasper, who tightened her grip on Serpentine's arm. "I will be... indisposed for several months. My mission requires that I go undercover, and I may not be able to check in regularly."

"Understood." The faintly-rendered Gem on the other end leaned in and squinted at her. "What happened to you? Are you damaged?"

Serpentine laughed nervously. "Just a traffic accident. The apes on this planet truly are stupid. I'll be fine, though." She gave Jasper an urgent look, and Jasper responded by shaking the Gem's limp arm back and forth. "See? No harm done."

The pearl leaned back from her screen. "Hmm... alright, then. Good luck with your mission. Over and out."

Jasper ended the call and let Serpentine's arm drop.

"What now?" She asked.

"Now," Jasper replied, "You're going to go into your Gem."

"So you Crystal Gems can stick me in that bubble room? Not a chance!"

Jasper stood up and lifted one foot, hovering her boot over Serpentine's face. "We do it the hard way, then."

"Alright, alright!" She said quickly. "You'll have to let me out eventually, though. Homeworld will notice that I'm missing."

Jasper raised her boot up high, preparing to bring it down hard. With a panicked gasp Serpentine retreated into her Gem. It sat on the rubble she had been buried under, the lackluster faded green stone doing little to betray the flamboyant personality contained within.

"I wouldn't count on it," she said to the gem. "Homeworld forgets about a lot of things"

She turned around to look for Steven—it was time to wrap this up. "Boy, come bubble this thing."

Behind her, Steven lay in his father's arms while Connie held her hands to her mouth in concern.

"Steven! Hey, stay with me, buddy!" Greg urged, shaking him as the boy's eyelids fluttered open and closed.

"So... tired..." Steven rasped, reaching a hand up to the sky. "Hate... running..." His arm fell limp and his head lolled to the side, eyes falling shut.

"Hospital!" Greg shouted looking around frantically. "We need to get him to a hospital!"

Jasper strode over and gestured at the van. "Then drive him there."

"There's no way! It's totalled!" Steam wisped out from the cracks that had formed in the crumpled front half of the car, and the constant _hiss_ coming from the engine seemed to agree with him.

Greg turned to Jasper and stood to his feet, Steven in his arms. "You're fast, right? You've gotta run him there!"

"Me?" Jasper wondered aloud as Greg hefted the boy into her arms.

"Yes, please!" Connie pleaded with her, hands clasped together and raised up towards the orange Gem's face.

Jasper looked down at the sweaty boy in her arms as she started walking and the ground beneath her changed from sidewalk to street. Before she knew it, she was running.

* * *

Navigating the hospital halls, Lapis spotted Sour Cream leaning against a wall as she turned a corner. She ran over to him and slid to a stop, her bare feet squeaking on the tiled floor.

"Where's Steven? Is he alright?"

Sour Cream took one hand out of the front pouch of his oversized hoodie and gestured at the door next to him. She looked through the door's window and saw Steven laying in bed, TV remote in hand.

Lapis sighed in relief, and reached for the door handle. She cracked open the door and was about to walk in when she saw Jasper. The Quartz was seated near the hospital bed, watching whatever was on TV with a distinct lack of interest.

"You got a sec?" Sour Cream asked.

Lapis let the door close quietly. "Sure"

"I, uh, wanted to thank you and Steven for helping me out." He put both hands back in the pockets of his sweatshirt.

"You're welcome..." She wasn't used to being thanked. "Why don't you tell Steven that, though? I didn't really do much."

Sour Cream glanced nervously at the door. "I was going to, then I saw that big Gem in there..."

Lapis could sympathize, though her reluctance to enter wasn't because of fear. "I get it."

"Anyways, I don't really have money or anything." He fumbled around in his pocket for a moment, then pulled out a set of keys. "You can have this, though."

He dropped the keys into Lapis' outstretched hand and she wrinkled her face at the odd gift. "A pair of keys... thanks."

"They're to the warehouse—I own it. Well, my dad did... but he's long gone."

"You're giving us that place? Don't you, you know, use it?"

"I did, yeah." Despite the heavy sweatshirt covering him, he shivered. "I can't look at that place anymore, though."

"I know what you mean," she remarked sympathetically. "I was once trapped at the bottom of the ocean for weeks. Now I don't like the ocean very much."

Sour Cream nodded in understanding. "That's rough. Well, see ya."

He shuffled off and Lapis turned back to Steven's room, taking a deep breath before swinging open the door. Jasper turned her head to the side to see who had entered, and stood to her feet when she saw Lapis standing in the doorway. Without so much as a sideways glance at Steven she began to walk out.

Lapis stepped aside, making room for the Quartz. "Wait," she commanded as Jasper was about to pass into the hallway. It was more of an order than a request, but Jasper stopped nonetheless.

"I don't want to have to see you every time I visit Steven." Lapis held up the keys Sour Cream had given her and thrust them at Jasper. "You need a place to live, right? These are to the building Serpentine was hiding out in." She dropped the keys into Jasper's hovering hand and walked over to Steven's bedside.

Jasper left without uttering a thanks—she knew that the blue Gem wasn't looking for anything like that.

The door swung closed, and Steven gawped at Lapis in astonishment "That was really nice of you!"

She frowned. "Don't make me take it back."

Outside the room, Jasper took one last look through the door's window as it swung closed. Lapis was hugging Steven, a broad smile stretched across his face. As the Quartz walked out of the hospital, she searched her heart while frightened visitors pressed themselves up against the hallway walls to avoid the ruminating Gem. She didn't feel angry, or sad, or jealous... she didn't feel much of _anything._ By all rights she should have been exhausted from running Steven to the hospital, but she felt lighter, like a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

It was in that moment that she realized how _tired_ she was of being angry. She clenched the set of keys in her hand and left the hospital, then stopped outside the entrance while she momentarily considered whether to go to the warehouse or visit Pearl while Lapis wasn't at the temple. Before she could wonder to herself why Pearl came to mind, she laughed, drawing frightened stares from the nurses gathered outside the entrance on their lunch break.

For the first time since being on Earth, she had _two_ places she wanted to go—not just one, _two._


End file.
